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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022245606 


Z 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


A  TALE  OF  INDIA. 


By  G.  A.  HENTY, 

Author  of  "The  Young  Buglers"   "The   Young  Frano-Tir» 
reurs"  "Out  on  the  Pampas,"  "Orange  and  Green/'  etc 


NEW  YORK 
THE   MERSHON   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 

<\5 


IONTENT! 


CHAPTER  I.  e^-b 

MtB  in  Cantonments, 5 

CHAPTER  II. 
ThoOutbreak 28 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Flight 38 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Broken*  Down 51 

CHAPTER  V. 
Back  Under  the  Flag. 68 

CHAPTER  VI. 
A  Dashing  Expedition 84 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Delhi. 103 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
A  Desperate  Defense 120 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Saved  by  a  Tiger 132 . 

CHAPTER  X. 
Treachery 143 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Retribution  Begins 102 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Dangerous  Service 178 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Lucknow . , 189 


iy  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIV.  £.AC55 

The  Besieged  Residency ,,,,„„,„  2G3 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Spiking  the  Guns •••••••••••••  So \» 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
A  Sortie  and  its  Consequences £0 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Out  of  Lucknow §£:5 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Storming  of  Delhi 253 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  Riot  at  Cawnpore ..«••»•••••  Sf 3 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  Relief  of  Lucknow , 28S 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
A  Sad  Parting 30.9 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
The  Last  Capture  of  Lucknow ■•••••••••••••••am  $V£ 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
A  Desperate  Defense ..•••••••••a**o  eBS 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Rest  After  Labor c....3 ••■»•■••••••  §&3) 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL 


CHAPTER  I. 

LIFE    IN    CANTONMENTS. 

Very  bright  and  pretty,  in  the  early  springtime  of  the 
year  1857,  were  the  British  cantonments  of  Sandynugghur. 
As  in  all  other  British  garrisons  in  India  they  stood 
quite  apart  from  the  town,  forming  a  suburb  of  their 
own.  They  consisted  of  the  barracks  and  of  a  maiden, 
or,  as  in  England  it  would  be  called,  "a  common,"  on 
which  the  troops  drilled  and  exercised,  and  round  which 
stood  the  bungalows  of  the  military  and  civil  officers  of 
the  station,  of  the  chaplain,  and  of  the  one  or  two  mer- 
chants who  completed  the  white  population  of  the  place. 

Very  pretty  were  these  bungalows,  built  entirely  upon 
the  ground  floor,  in  rustic  fashion,  wood  entering  largely 
into  their  composition.  Some  were  thatched;  others 
covered  with  slabs  of  wood  or  stone.  All  had  wide  veran- 
das running  round  them,  with  tatties,  or  blinds,  made 
of  reeds  or  strips  of  wood  to  let  down,  and  give  shade  and 
coolness  to  the  rooms  therein.  In  some  of  them  the 
visitor  walked  from  the  compound,  or  garden,  directly 
into  the  dining-room,  large,  airy,  with  neither  curtains 
nor  carpeting  nor  matting,  but  with  polished  boards  as 
flooring.  The  furniture  here  was  generally  plain  and 
almost  scanty,  for  except  at  meal  times,  the  rooms  wera 
but  little  used. 


6  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Outside,  in  the  veranda,  is  the  real  sitting-room  of  tha 
bungalow.  Here  are  placed  a  number  of  easy-chairs  of 
all  shapes,  constructed  of  cane  or  bamboo — light,  cool, 
and  comfortable ;  these  are  moved,  as  the  sun  advances, 
to  the  shady  side  of  the  veranda,  and  in  them  the  ladies 
read  and  work,  the  gentlemen  smoke.  In  all  bungalows 
built  for  the  use  of  English  families,  there  is,  as  was  the 
case  at  Sandynugghur,  a  drawing-room  as  well  as  a 
dining-room,  and,  this,  being  the  ladies'  especial 
domain,  is  generally  furnished  in  European  style,  with  a 
piano,  light  chintz  chair-covers,  and  muslin  curtains. 

The  bedroom  opens  out  of  the  sitting-room,  and 
almost  every  bedroom  has  its  bathroom  —  that  all- 
important  adjunct  in  the  East — attached  to  it.  The 
windows  all  open  down  to  the  ground,  and  the  servants 
generally  come  in  and  out  through  the  veranda.  Each 
window  has  its  Venetian  blind  which  answers  all  purposes 
of  a  door,  and  yet  permits  the  air  to  pass  freely. 

The  veranda,  in  addition  to  serving  as  the  general  sit- 
ting-room to  the  family,  acts  as  a  servants'  hall.  Here, 
at  the  side  not  used  by  the  employers,  the  servants,  when 
not  otherwise  engaged,  sit  on  their  mats,  mend  their 
clothes,  talk,  and  sleep ;  and  it  is  wonderful  how  much 
sleep  a  Hindoo  can  get  through  in  the  twenty-four 
hours. 

The  veranda  is  his  bedroom  as  well  as  sitting-room; 
here,  spreading  a  mat  upon  the  ground,  and  rolling 
themselves  up  in  a  thin  rug  or  blanket  from  the  very  top 
of  their  head  to  their  feet,  the  servants  sleep,  looking 
like  a  number  of  mummies  ranged  against  the  wall.  Out 
by  the  stables  they  have  their  quarters,  where  they  cook 
and  eat,  and  could,  if  they  chose,  sleep ;  but  they  pre- 
fer the  coolness  and  freshness  of  the  veranda,  where, 
too,  they  are  ready  at  hand  whenever  called.     The  gar- 


IN  TIME8  OF  PERIL.  7 

dens  were  all  pretty  and  well  kept,  with  broad,  shady 
trees,  and  great  shrubs  covered  by  bright  masses  of 
flower;  for  Sandynugghur  had  been  a  station  for  many 
years>  and  with  plenty  of  water  and  a  hot  sun  vegetation 
is  very  rapid. 

In  two  of  the  large  reclining  chairs  two  lads,  of  fifteen 
and  sixteen  respectively,  were  lolling  idly;  they  had 
been  reading,  for  books  lay  open  in  their  laps,  and  they 
were  now  engaged  in  eating  bananas^  and  in  ^talking  to 
two  young  ladies,  some  three  years  their  senior,  who 
were  sitting  working  beside  them. 

"You  boys  will  really  make  yourselves  ill  if  you  eat  so 
many  bananas. ' ' 

"It  is  not  that  I  care  for  them,"  said  the  eldest  lad; 
"they  are  tasteless  things,  and  a  good  apple  is  worth  a 
hundred  of  them;  but  one  must  do  something,  and  I  am 
too  lazy  to  go  on  with  this  Hindoo  grammar;  besides,  a 
fellow  can't  work  when  you  girls  come  out  here  and  talk 
to  him." 

"That's  very  good,  Ned;  it  is  you  that  do  all  the  talk- 
ing; besides,  you  know  that  you  ought  to  shut  your- 
selves up  in  the  study  and  not  sit  here  where  you  are 
sure  to  be  interrupted." 

"I  have  done  three  hours'  steady  work  this  morning 
with  that  wretched  Moonshi,  Kate ;  and  three  hours  in 
this  climate  is  as  much  as  my  brain  will  stand." 

Kate  Warrener  and  her  brothers,  Ned  and  Dick,  were 
the  children  of  the  Major  of  the  Hundred-and-fifty-first 
Bengal  native  infantry,  the  regiment  stationed  at  Sandy- 
nugghur. Rose  Hertford,  the  other  young  lady,  was  their 
cousin.  The  three  former  were  born  in  India,  but  had  each 
gone  to  England  at  the  age  of  nine  for  their  education, 
and  to  save  them  from  the  effects  of  the  climate,  which 
English  children  are  seldom  able  to  endure  after  that  age. 


8  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Their  mother  had  sailed  for  England  with  Dick,  the 
youngest,  but  had  died  soon  after  she  reached  home. 
Dick  had  a  passion  for  the  sea,  and  his  father's  relations, 
having  good  interest,  had  obtained  for  him  a  berth  as  a 
midshipman  in  the  royal  navy,  in  which  rank  he  had 
been  serving  for  upward  of  a  year.  His  ship  being  now 
in  Indian  waters,  a  month's  leave  had  been  granted  him 
that  he  might  go  up  the  country  to  see  his  father.  The 
other  lad  had  arrived  from  England  three  months  before 
with  his  sister  and  cousin.  Major  Warrener  had  sent 
for  his  daughter,  whose  education  was  finished,  to  take 
the  head  of  his  house,  and,  as  a  companion,  had  invited 
Rose  Hertford,  who  was  the  orphan  child  of  his 
sister,  to  accompany  her.  Ned,  who  had  been  at  West- 
minster till  he  left  England,  was  intended  for  the  Indian 
army.  His  father  thought  that  it  would  be  well  for  him 
to  come  out  to  India  with  his  sister,  as  he  himself  would 
work  with  him,  and  complete  his  education,  to  enable 
him  to  pass  the  necessary  examination — then  not  a  very 
severe  one — while  he  could  be  at  the  same  time  learning 
the  native  languages,  which  could  be  of  immense  benefit 
to  him  after  he  had  entered  the  army.  Coming  out  as 
they  had  done  in  the  cold  season,  none  of  the  four  ex- 
hibited any  of  that  pallor  and  lassitude  which,  at  any 
rate  during  the  summer  heats,  are  the  rule  throughout 
the  Anglo-Indian  community. 

As  Ned  finished  his  sentence  the  sound  of  the  tread  of 
two  horses  was  heard  along  the  road. 

"Captains  Dunlop  and  Manners,"  Dick  exclaimed; 
"a,  shilling  to  a  penny!     "Will  either  of  you  bet,  girls?" 

Neither  his  sister  nor  cousin  replied  to  this  offer ;  and 
the  boys  gave  a  sly  nod  of  intelligence  to  each  other,  as 
two  horsemen  rode  up  to  the  veranda  and  dismounted, 
throwing  their  reins  to  the  syces,  who,  whatever  the  paca 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  <$ 

at  which  their  masters  ride,  run  just  behind,  in  readi- 
ness to  take  the  horses,  should  they  dismount. 

"Good-morning,  Miss  Warrener;  good-morning,  Mis3 
Hertford :  we  have  brought  you  some  interesting  news. ' ' 

"Indeed!"  said  the  girls,  as  they  shook  hands  with 
the  newcomers,  who  were  two  as  good  specimens  of  tall, 
well-made,  sunburned  Anglo-Saxons  as  one  would  wish  to 
see.     "What  is  it?" 

"We  have  just  got  the  news  that  a  family  of  wild  boars 
have  come  down,  and  are  doing  a  lot  of  damage  near 
Meanwerrie,  four  miles  off.  I  suppose  they  have  been 
disturbed  somewhere  further  away,  as  we  have  not  heard 
of  any  pig  here  for  months;  so  to-morrow  morning  there 
is  going  to  be  grand  pig-sticking;  of  course  you  will 
come  out  and  see  the  fun?" 

"We  shall  be  delighted,"  said  Kate;  but  Eose  put  in, 

"Yes;  but  oh!  how  unfoi'tunate !  it's  Mrs.  Briarley's 
garden  party. ' ' 

"That  has  been  put  off  till  next  day.  It  is  not  often 
we  get  a  chance  at  pig,  and  we  have  always  got  gardens. 
The  two  need  not  have  interfered  with  each  other,  as  we 
shall  start  at  daylight  for  Meanwerrie ;  but  we  may  be 
out  some  hours,  and  so  it  was  thought  better  to  put  off 
the  party  to  a  day  when  there  will  be  nothing  else  to  do. " 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Dick;  "lam  in  luck!  I  wanted, 
above  all  things,  to  see  a  wild-boar  hunt ;  do  you  think 
my  father  will  let  me  have  a  spear?" 

"Hardly,  Dick,  considering  that  last  time  you  went 
out  you  tumbled  off  three  times  at  some  jumps  two  feet 
wide,  and  that  were  you  to  fall  in  front  of  a  pig  he  would 
rip  you  up  before  you  had  time  to  think  about  it ;  be- 
sides which,  you  would  almost  certainly  stick  somebody 
with  your  spear. ' ' 

Dick  laughed. 


iO  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"That  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  been  on  a  norse, " 
he  said;  "will  you  ride,  Ned?" 

"No,"  said  Ned;  "I  can  ride  fairly  enough  along  a 
straight  road,  but  it  wants  a  first-rate  rider  to  go  across 
country  at  a  gallop,  looking  at  the  boar  instead  of  where 
you  are  going,  and  carrying  a  spear  in  one  hand. ' ' 

"Do  you  think  papa  will  ride?"  Kate  asked. 

"I  don't  know,  Miss  Warrener;  the  major  is  a  famous 
spear ;  but  here  he  is  to  speak  for  himself. ' ' 

Major  Warrener  was  in  uniform,  having  just  come  up 
from  the  orderly-room.  He  was  a  tall,  soldierly  figure, 
inclining  to  stoutness.  His  general  expression  was  that 
of  cheeriness  and  good  temper ;  but  he  was  looking,  as 
he  drove  up,  grave  and  serious.  His  brow  cleared,  how- 
ever, as  his  eye  fell  upon  the  group  in  the  veranda. 

"Ah!  Dunlop ;  brought  the  news  about  the  boar,  eh?" 

"You  will  take  us  with  you?"  the  girls  asked  in  a 
breath. 

"Oh,  yes,  you  shall  go;  I  will  drive  you  myself.  I 
am  getting  too  heavy  for  pig-sticking,  especially  with 
such  responsibilities  as  you  about.  There,  I  will  get  out 
of  this  uniform;  it's  hot  for  the  time  of  year.  What  are 
you  drinking?  Nothing?  Boy,  bring  some  soda  and 
brandy!" 

Then,  producing  his  cigar  case,  he  took  a  cheroot. 

"Ag-low!"  he  shouted,  and  a  native  servant  ran  up 
with  a  piece  of  red-hot  charcoal  held  in  a  little  pair  of 
tongs. 

"There,  sit  down  and  make  yourselves  comfortable  till 
I  come  back." 

The  lads,  finding  that  their  society  was  not  particularly 
required,  strolled  off  to  the  stables,  where  Ned  entered 
into  a  conversation  with  the  syces  as  to  the  distance  to 
Meanwerrie  and  the  direction  in  which  that  village  lay. 


ZZV  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  11 

Like  all  Anglo-Indian  children  brought  up  in  India,  the 
boys  had,  when  they  left  India,  spoken  the  language 
fluently.  They  had  almost  entirely  forgotten  it  during 
their  stay  in  England,  but  it  speedily  came  back  again, 
and  Ned,  at  the  end  of  three  months'  work,  found  that  he 
could  get  on  very  fairly.     Dick  had  lost  it  altogether. 

"When  they  went  back  to  the  veranda  they  found  that 
the  girls  had  gone  indoors,  and  that  their  father  was 
sitting  and  smoking  with  his  brother  officers.  When  the , 
lads  came  up  the  conversation  ceased,  and  then  the 
major  said: 

"It  is  as  well  the  boys  should  know  what  is  going  on. " 

"What  is  it,  father?"  Ned  asked,  struck  with  the 
grave  tone  in  which  the  major  spoke,  and  at  the  serious 
expression  in  all  their  faces. 

"Well,  boys,  for  some  months  past  there  have  been  all 
sorts  of  curious  rumors  running  through  the  country. 
Chupatties  have  been  sent  round,  and  that  is  always  con- 
sidered to  portend  something  serious. ' ' 

"Do  you  mean  the  chupatties  we  eat — flat  cakes, 
father?" 

"Yes,  Ned.  Nobody  knows  who  sends  them  round,  or 
the  exact  meaning  of  the  signal,  but  it  seems  to  be  an 
equivalent  for  ' prepare, '  'make  ready.'  Chupatties  are 
quickly,  prepared;  they  are  the  bread  eaten  on  a  journey, 
and  hence  probably  their  signification.  At  any  rate, 
these  things  have  been  circulated  among  the  native  troops 
all  over  the  country-  Strangers  are  known  to  have  come 
and  gone,  and  there  is  a  general  uneasy  and  unsettled 
feeling  prevalent  among  the  troops.  A  ridiculous  rumor 
has  circulated  among  them  that  the  new  cartridges  have 
been  greased  with  pigs'  fat,  in  order  that  the  caste  of  all 
who  put  it  to  their  lips  might  be  destroyed.  To-day  I  have 
received  news  from  Calcutta  that  the  Nineteenth  Native 


-J2  12?  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Begiinent  at  Berhampore  has  behaved  in  a  grossly  muti- 
nous manner,  and  that  it  is  feared  the  regiments  at  Bar- 
rackpore  and  Dumdum  will  follow  their  example.  The 
affair  has  been  suppressed,  but  there  is  an  uneasy  feeling 
abroad,  and  all  the  troops  in  Bengal  Proper  appear 
tainted  with  paltry  disaffection.  We  have  no  reason  for 
believing  that  the  spirit  has  spread  to  the  northwest, 
and  are  convinced  that,  as  far  as  our  own  regiment  is 
concerned,  they  can  be  relied  on ;  but  the  affair,  taken  in 
connection  with  the  previous  rumors,  is  very  strange, 
and  I  fear  that  there  are  lots  of  trouble  ahead.  I  wish 
now  that  I  had  not  had  the  girls  out  for  another  year ; 
but  I  could  not  foresee  this,  and  indeed,  until  this  morn- 
ing, although  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  talk,  we  all 
hoped  it  would  have  passed  off  without  anything  coming 
of  it.  One  hopes  still  that  it  will  spread  no*f  urther ;  but 
should  it  do  so,  it  is  impossible  to  say  what  may  hap- 
pen. All  we  have  to  do  is  to  be  watchful,  and  to  avoid 
with  care  anything  that  can  offend  the  men's  prejudices. 
We  must  explain  to  the  native  officers  the  folly  of  the 
greased  cartridge  story,  and  tell  them  to  reassure  the 
men.     You  don't  see  anything  else  to  do,  Dunlop?" 

"No,  major;  I  trust  that  the  regiment  is  to  be  de- 
pended upon ;  it  has  always  been  well  treated,  and  the 
men  have  seemed  attached  to  us  all.  We  will  do  our  best 
to  reassure  them ;  but  if  there  is  any  insubordination,  I 
hope  that  the  colonel  will  give  the  men  a  lesson  which, 
will  put  an  end  to  the  nonsense  in  the  bud." 

"Of  course  you  will  stay  to  tiffin?"  the  major  said,  as 
the  kitmagar,  or  head  servant,  announced  that  tiffin  was 
ready. 

"Many  thanks,  major,  but  we  promised  to  tiff  with 
Bullen,  and  he  would  be  mad  if  we  did  not  turn  up. 
How  are  you  thinking  of  going  to-morrow?     I  intend  to 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  13 

drive  over  and  send  my  horse  on ;  so  I  can  give  one  of 
'  your  boys  a  lift  in  my  buggy. ' ' 

"Thank  you,"  the  major  said,  "that  would  suit  us  ex- 
actly. I  shall  drive  in  my  dogca/t,  which  will  carry 
four  of  us;  and  if  you  will  take  Dick  that  will  make  it  all 
right." 

"What  time  do  we  start?" 

'  'We  are  to  be  there  by  seven ;  we  set  it  so  late  to  give 
the  ladies  time  to  breakfast  comfortably  before  starting. 
I  will  call  here  at  half -past  six  for  Dick ;  it  will  be  all  in 
my  way.     Good-morning. ' ' 

Two  minutes  later  the  girls,  Ned,  and  Dick  came  into 
the  dining-room,  and  the  party  sat  down  to  luncheon — a 
meal  always  called  tiffin  in  India.  It  is  a  great  mistake 
to  suppose  that  people  in  India^cannot  eat  because  of  the 
heat ;  in  the  extreme  heat  of  summer  their  appetites  do, 
no  doubt,  fall  off;  but  at  other  times  they  not  only  eat, 
but  eat  more  largely  than  is  good  for  them ;  and  a  good 
deal  of  the  liver  complaint  which  is  the  pest  of  India  is 
in  no  small  degree  due  to  the  fact  that,  the  appetite  be- 
ing unnaturally  stimulated  by  hot  and  piquant  food, 
people  eat  more  than,  in  such  a  climate  as  this,  can  be 
properly  digested.  The  meal  consisted  of  curries,  with 
which  were  handed  round  chutney  and  Bombay  ducks — 
a  little  fish  about  the  size  of  a  smelt,  cut  open,  dried  and 
smoked  with  assafoetida,  giving  it  an  intolerably  nasty 
taste  to  strangers,  but  one  which  Anglo-Indians  become 
accustomed  to  and  like — no  one  knows  why  they  are 
called  Bombay  ducks — cutlets,  plantains  sliced  and  fried, 
pomegranates,  and  watermelons.  They  were  waited  upon 
by  two  servants,  both  dressed  entirely  in  white,  but 
wearing  red  turbans,  very  broad  and  shallow.  These 
turbans  denoted  the  particular  tribe  and  sect  to  which 
their  wearers  belonged.     The  castes  in  India  are  almost 


±A  Z2V  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

innumerable,  and  each  has  a  turban  of  a  peculiar  color  or 
shape,  and  by  these  they  can  be  at  once  distinguished  by 
a  resident.  On  their  foreheads  were  lines  and  spots  of  a 
yellowish-white  paint,  indicating  also  their  caste,  and 
the  peculiar  divinity  to  whose  worship  they  were  specially 
devoted.  On  their  feet  they  wore  slippers,  and  were  as 
noiseless  as  cats  in  all  their  movements.  There  are  no 
better  or  more  pleasant  waiters  in  the  world  than  the 
natives  of  Hindostan. 

Early  as  the  hour  named  for  the  start  would  appear  in 
England,  it  was  by  no  means  early  for  India,  where  every- 
one is  up  and  about  soon  after  daylight — the  morning 
hours  up  to  eight  o'clock  being  the  most  pleasant  of  the 
whole  day. 

Kate  and  Rose  were  up,  and  all  had  had  "chota 
hazaree"  (little  breakfast)  by  half-past  six,  and  were 
ready  when  Captain  Dunlop  drew  up  in  his  buggy — a 
conveyance  which  will  only  hold  two.  The  dogcart  was 
already  at  the  door,  and  the  whole  party  were  soon  in 
motion.  On  the  road  they  passed  several  of  their 
friends,  for  every  one  was  going  out  to  the  hunt,  and 
merry  greetings  were  exchanged. 

The  scenery  round  Sandynugghur  resembles  that 
which  is  common  to  all  the  great  plains  of  India  watered 
by  the  Ganges  and  Jumna.  The  country  is  for  the  most 
part  perfectly  flat,  and  cut  up  into  little  fields,  divided 
by  shallow  ditches.  Here  and  there  nullahs,  or  deep 
water  courses,  with  tortuous  channels  and  perpendicular 
sides,  wind  through  the  fields  to  the  nearest  stream. 
These  nullahs  constitute  the  great  danger  of  hunting  in 
the  country-  In  the  fields  men  may  be  noticed,  in  the 
scantiest  of  attire,  working  with  hoes  among  their  spring- 
ing crops;  women,  wrapped  up  in  the  dark-blue  calico 
cloth  which  forms  their  ordinary  costume,  are  working 


W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  15 

as  hard  as  the  men.  Villages  are  scattered  about,  gen- 
erally  close  to  groves  of  trees.  The  huts  are  built  of 
mud ;  most  of  them  are  flat-topped,  but  some  are  thatched 
■with  rushes.  Eising  above  the  villages  is  the  mosque, 
•where  the  population  are  Mohammedan,  built  of  mud 
like  the  houses,  but  whitewashed  and  bright.  The 
Hindoo  villages  generally,  but  not  always,  have  their 
temples.  The  vegetation  of  the  great  plains  of  India  is 
not  tropical,  according  to  the  ideas  of  tropical  vegeta- 
tion gathered  from  British  hothouses.  There  are  a 
few  palms  and  many  bananas  with  their  wide  leaves,  but 
the  groves  are  composed  of  sturdy  trees,  whose  appear- 
ance at  a  distance  differs  in  no  way  from  that  of  ordi- 
nary English  forest  trees.  Viewed  closer,  the  banyan, 
with  its  many  stems,  is  indeed  a  vegetable  wonder ;  but, 
were  it  not  for  the  villages  and  natives,  a  traveler  might 
journey  for  very  many  miles  across  the  plains  of  India 
without  seeing  anything  which  would  specially  remind 
him  that  he  was  out  of  England. 

There  were  a  considerable  number  of  traps  assembled 
when  Major  Warrener  drew  up,  and  some  eight  or  ten 
gentlemen  on  horseback,  each  carrying  a  boar-spear — a 
weapon  not  unlike  the  lance  of  an  English  cavalryman, 
but  shorter  in  the  handle.  The  riders  were  mostly 
dressed  in  coats  of  the  Norfolk-jacket  type,  and  knee- 
breeches  with  thick  gaiters.  The  material  of  their 
clothes  was  a  coarse  but  very  strong  cloth  of  native  make, 
gray  or  brown  in  color.  Some  wore  round  hats  and 
forage  caps  with  puggarees  twisted  round  them. 

A  chorus  of  greeting  saluted  the  party  as  they  drove  up, 
"Well,  young  ladies,"  the  colonel  said,  "so  you  have 
come  out  to  see  the  death  of  the  boar — 

'The  boar,  the  boar,  the  mighty  boar,' 


16  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

as  the  song  says  ?  So  you  are  not  going  to  take  a  spear 
to-day,  major?  Think  it's  time  to  leave  it  to  the  young- 
sters, eh?" 

"Where  are  the  wild  boars,  Mrs.  Kenwick?"  Kate 
asked  of  the  colonel's  wife. 

"Pig,  my  dear;  we  always  call  them  pig  when  we 
speak  of  them  together,  though  we  talk  of  the  father  of 
the  family  as  the  boar.  Do  you  see  that  clump  of  long 
grass  and  jungle  right  across  the  plain?  That's  where 
they  are.  They  have  been  watched  all  night.  They 
went  out  to  feed  before  daybreak  and  have  just  gone 
back  again.  Do  you  think  we  are  in  the  best  place  for 
seeing  the  sport,  Major  Warrener?" 

"I  think,  Mrs.  Kenwick,  that  if  you  leave  your  trap 
and  go  up  to  the  top  of  that  knoll,  two  hundred  yards  to 
the  right,  you  will  get  a  really  good  view  of  the  plain." 

Mrs.  Kenwick  alighted  from  the  dogcart  in  which  the 
colonel  had  driven  her,  and  the  whole  party,  following 
her  example,  walked  in  a  laughing  group  to  the  spot 
which  Major  Warrener  had  indicated,  and  which  was 
pronounced  as  just  the  place.  The  sj^ces  stood  at  the 
heads  of  the  horses,  and  those  who  were  going  to  take 
part  in  the  sport  cantered  off  toward  the  spot  where  the 
pigs  were  lurking,  making,  however,  a  wide  detour  so 
as  to  approach  it  from  the  other  side,  as  it  was  desired 
to  drive  them  across  the  plain.  At  some  distance  behind 
the  clump  were  stationed  a  number  of  natives,  with  a 
variety  of  mongrel  village  curs.  When  they  saw  the 
horsemen  approach  they  came  up  and  prepared  to  enter 
the  jungle  to  drive  out  the  pigs. 

The  horsemen  took  up  their  position  on  either  side  of 
the  patch  in  readiness  to  start  as  soon  as  the  animals 
were  fairly  off.  A  number  of  villagers,  in  whose  fields  of 
young  rice  the  family  had  done  much  damage  during  the 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  \<f 

few  days  that  they  had  taken  up  their  abode  in  their 
present  quarters,  were  assembled  on  such  little  rises  of 
ground  as  were  likely  to  give  a  good  view  of  the  proceed- 
ings. There  were  about  a  dozen  horsemen  with  spears; 
of  these,  three  or  four  were  novices,  and  these  intended 
to  try  their  skill  for  the  first  time  upon  the  "squeakers," 
as  the  young  pigs  are  called,  while  the  others  prepared 
for  a  race  after  the  old  ones. 

Great  nerve,  considerable  skill,  and  first-rate  horse- 
manship are  required  for  the  sport  of  pig-sticking.  The 
horse,  too,  must  be  fast,  steady,  well-trained,  and  quick, 
for  without  all  these  advantages  the  sport  is  a  dangerous 
one.  The  wild  boar  is,  at  the  start,  as  fast  as  a  horse. 
He  is  very  quick  at  turning,  and,  when  pressed,  always 
attacks  his  pursuers,  and  as  he  rushes  past  will  lay  open 
the  leg  or  flank  of  a  horse  with  a  sweeping  cut  with  his 
sharp  tusk.  If  he  can  knock  a  horse  down  the  position 
of  his  rider  would  be  serious  indeed,  were  not  help  to 
arrive  in  time  to  draw  off  the  attention  of  the  enraged 
animal  from  his  foe.  Heavy  falls,  too,  take  place  over 
water  courses  and  nullahs,  and  in  some  parts  of  India  the 
difficulties  are  greatly  increased  by  bowlders  of  all  kinds 
being  scattered  over  the  ground,  and  by  the  frequent 
occurrence  of  bushes  and  shrubs  armed  with  most  formi- 
dable spines  and  thorns.  Conspicuous  among  these  is  the 
bush  known  as  the  "wait-a-bit  thorn,"  which  is  furnished 
with  two  kinds  of  thorn — the  one  long,  stiff,  and  pene- 
trating, the  other  short  and  curxed,  with  a  forked  point 
almost  like  a  fish-hook.  When  this  once  takes  hold  it  is 
almost  necessary  to  cut  the  cloth  to  obtain  a  release. 

Scarcely  had  the  beaters,  with  much  shouting  and 
clamor,  entered  the  patch  of  bush  in  which  the  pigs  were 
lying,  than  the  porcine  family,  consisting  of  a  splendid 
boar  and  sow,  and  eight  nearly  full-grown  squeakers,darted 


18  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

cut  on  the  open,  and  in  a  moment  the  horsemen  were  off 
in  pursuit.  The  ground  was  deep  and  heavy,  and  tl>9 
pigs  at  the  first  burst  gained  fast  upon  their  pursuers. 
There  was  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  pigs  to  keep  to- 
gether, and  directly  after  starting  they  began  to  diverge. 
The  old  boar  and  sow  both  kept  across  the  plain — one 
bearing  toward  the  left,  the  other  to  the  right.  The 
squeakers  ran  in  all  directions — some  at  right  angles  to 
the  line  that  the  old  ones  were  taking.  The  object  of 
one  and  all  was  to  gain  cover  of  some  kind. 

With  their  hats  [pressed  well  down  upon  their  heads, 
and  their  spears  advanced  with  the  head  some  two  or 
three  feet  from  the  ground,  the  hunters  started  after 
them — some  making  after  the  boar,  some  after  the  sow, 
according  to  the  position  which  they  occupied  at  the 
commencement  of  the  chase,  while  some  of  the  young 
hands  dashed  off  in  pursuit  of  the  squeakers. 

There  were  five,  however,  after  the  boar;  Captain  Dun- 
lop,  a  young  ensign  named  Skinner,  the  Scotch  doctor  of 
the  regiment,  and  two  civilians.  For  a  short  time  they 
kept  together,  and  then  Captain  Dunlop  and  Skinner 
began  to  draw  ahead  of  the  others. 

The  boar  was  a  stanch  one,  and  a  mile  had  been 
passed  before  his  speed  began  sensibly  to  diminish.  The 
young  ensign,  who  was  mounted  on  a  very  fast  Arab, 
began  to  draw  up  to  him  three  or  four  lengths  ahead  of 
Captain  Dunlop,  bearing  his  horse  so  as  to  get  upon  the 
left  side  of  the  boar,  in  order  to  permit  him  to  use  his 
spear  to  advantage. 

He  was  nearly  up  to  him  when  Captain  Dunlop,  who 
saw  the  boar  glancing  back  savagely,  cried : 

"Look  out,  Skinner!  he  will  be  round  in  a  moment; 
keep  your  horse  well  in  hand!" 

A  moment   later   the   boar   was   round.      The   horse>! 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  10 

young  and  unbroken  at  the  work,  started  violently, 
swerved,  and  "before  his  rider  could  get  him  round,  the 
boar  was  upon  him.  In  an  instant  the  horse  was  upon 
the  ground,  with  a  long  gash  upon  his  flank,  and  Skin- 
ner, flying  through  the  air,  fell  almost  directly  in  the 
boar's  way. 

Fortunately  for  the  young  ensign,  Captain  Dunlop,  as 
he  shouted  his  warning,  had  turned  his  horse  to  the  left, 
so  as  to  cut  off  the  boar  when  he  turned,  and  he  was  now 
so  close  that  the  boar,  in  passing,  had  only  time  to  give 
a  vicious  blow  at  the  fallen  man,  which  laid  his  arm  open 
from  his  shoulder  to  his  elbow. 

At  that  instant  Captain  Dunlop  arrived,  and  his  spear 
pierced  the  animal's  flank.  His  aim  [was,  however,  dis- 
concerted by  his  horse,  at  the  moment  he  struck,  leaping 
over  the  fallen  ensign ;  the  wound,  therefore,  was  but  a 
glancing  one,  and  in  a  moment  the  boar  was  round  upon 
his  new  assailant.  Fortunately,  the  horse  was  a  well- 
trained  one,  and  needed  not  the  sharp  touch  of  his  mas- 
ter's rein  to  wheel  sharp  round  on  his  hind  legs  and  dart 
off  at  full  speed.  The  boar  swerved  off  again  and  con- 
tinued his  original  line  of  flight,  his  object  being  to  gain 
a  thick  patch  of  jungle,  now  little  over  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  distant;  the  detention,  however,  was  fatal  to  him, 
for  the  doctor,  who  was  close  on  Captain  Dunlop's  heels, 
now  brought  up  his  horse  with  a  rush,  and  with  a  well- 
aimed  thrust,  ran  the  animal  through,  completely  pin- 
ning him  to  the  earth.  The  honor  of  his  death  was, 
therefore,  divided  between  the  doctor  and  Captain  Dun- 
lop, for  [the  latter  had  drawn  first  blood,  or,  as  it  is 
termed,  had  taken  first  spear,  while  the  former  had  scored 
the  kill. 

The  sow  had  been  more  fortunate  than  her  lord.  She 
had  taken  a  line  across  a  part  of  the  plain  which  was 


20  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

intersected  by  several  nullahs.  She,  too,  had  been 
wounded,  but  one  of  the  nullahs  had  thrown  out  several 
of  her  pursuers;  one  rider  had  been  sent  over  his  horse's 
head  and  stunned;  and  the  sow,  turning  sharp  down  a 
deep  and  precipitous  gulbr,  had  made  her  escape.  Three 
of  the  squeakers  fell  to  the  spears  of  the  Griffs — young 
hands — and  the  rest  had  escaped.  The  boar  had  been 
killed  only  a  short  distance  from  the  rise  upon  which  the 
spectators  from  Sandynugghur  were  assembled,  and  the 
beaters  soon  tied  its  four  legs  together/ and  putting  a 
pole  through  them,  six  of  them  carried  the  beast  up  to 
the  colonel's  wife  for  inspection. 

"What  a  savage-looking  brute  it  is!"  said  Kate;  "not 
a  bit  like  a  pig,  with  all  those  long  bristles,  and  that 
sharp,  high  back,  and  those  tremendous  tusks." 

"Will  you  accept  the  skin,  Miss  Warrener?"  Captain 
Dunlop  said  to  her  afterward;  "I  have  arranged  with 
the  doctor.  He  is  to  have  the  hams,  and  I  am  to  have 
the  hide.  If  you  will,  I  will  have  it  dressed  and 
mounted. '  '" 

"Thank  you,  Captain  Dunlop,  I  should  like  it  very 
much;"  but  as  it  turned  out,  Kate  Warrener  never  got 
the  skin. 

The  boar  killed,  the  doctor's  first  care  was  to  attend  to 
the  wounded,  and  Skinner's  arm  was  soon  bound  up,  and 
he  was  sent  home  in  a  buggy ;  the  man  who  was  stunned 
came  to  in  a  short  time.  The  unsuccessful  ones  were 
much  laughed  at  by  the  colonel  and  major  for  allowing 
half  the  game  started  to  get  away. 

"You  ought  not  to  grumble,  colonel,"  Captain  Man- 
ners said.  "If  we  had  killed  them  all  we  might  not  have 
had  another  run  for  months ;  as  it  is,  we  will  have  some 
more  sport  next  week." 

There  was  some  consultation  as  to  the  chance  of  get- 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  21 

ting  the  sow  even  now,  but  it  was  generally  agreed  that 
she  would  follow  the  nullah  down,  cross  the  stream,  and 
get  into  a  large  canebrake  beyond,  from  which  it  would 
take  hours  to  dislodge  her;  so  a  general  move  was  made 
to  the  carriages,  and  in  a  short  time  the  whole  party 
T/ore  on  their  way  back  to  Sandy nugghur. 


Ill  TIMES  OF  PERIL, 


CHAPTEB  H 

THE    OUTBKEAK. 

A  weee  after  the  boar  hunt  came  the  news  that  a  Sepoy 
named  Mangul  Pandy,  belonging  to  the  Thirty-fourth 
Native  Infantry,  stationed  at  Barrackpore,  a  place  only  a 
few  miles  out  of  Culcutta,  had,  on  the  29th  of  March, 
lushed  out  upon  the  parade  ground  and  called  upon  the 
men  to  mutiny.  He  then  shot  the  European  sergeant- 
major  of  the  regiment,  and  cut  down  an  officer.  Pandy 
continued  to  exhort  the  men  to  rise  to  arms,  and  although 
his  comrades  would  not  join  him,  they  refused  to  make 
any  movement  to  arrest  him.  General  Hearsey  now 
arrived  on  the  parade  ground  with  his  son  and  a  Major 
Boss,  and  at  once  rode  at  the  man,  who,  finding  that  his 
comrades  would  not  assist  him,  discharged  the  contents 
of  the  musket  into  his  own  body. 

Two  days  later  the  mutinous  Nineteenth  were  dis- 
banded at  Barrackpore.  On  the  3d  of  April  Mangul 
Pandy,  who  had  only  wounded  himself,  was  hung,  and 
the  same  doom  was  allotted  to  a  native  officer  of  his  regi- 
ment for  refusing  to  order  the  men  to  assist  the  officer 
attacked  by  that  mutineer,  and  for  himself  inciting  the 
men  to  rise  against  the  government. 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  news,  papa?"  Dick  asked 
his  father. 

"I  hope  that  the  example  which  has  been  set  by  the 
execution  of  these  ringleaders,  and  by  the  disbandment  of 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  23 

the  Nineteenth,  may  have  a  wholesome  effect,  Dick ;  foui 
we  shall  see  before  long. ' ' 

It  needed  no  great  lapse  of  time  to  show  that  this 
lesson  had  been  ineffectual.  From  nearly  every  station 
throughout  Bengal  and  the  northwest  provinces  came 
rumors  of  disaffection;  at  Agra,  at  Umballah,  and  at 
other  places  incendiary  fires  broke  out  with  alarming  fre- 
quency, letters  were  from  time  to  time  intercepted,  call- 
ing upon  the  Sepoys  to  revolt,  while  at  Lucknow  serious 
disturbances  occurred,  and  the  Seventh  Regiment  was 
disarmed  by  Sir  Henry  Lawrence,  the  commissioner  of 
Qude,  So  the  month  of  April  passed,  and  as  it  went  on 
the  feeling  of  disquiet  and  danger  grew  deeper  and  mora 
general.  It  was  like  the  anxious  time  preceding  a  thun- 
derstorm— the  cloud  was  gathering,  but  how  or  when  it 
would  burst  none  could  say.  Many  still  maintained 
stoutly  that  there  was  no  danger  whatever,  and  that  the 
whole  thing  would  blow  over ;  but  men  with  wives  and 
families  were  generally  inclined  to  take  a  more  somber 
view  of  the  case.  Nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at.  The 
British  form  an  almost  inappreciable  portion  of  the  pop- 
ulation of  India;  they  are  isolated  in  a  throng  of  natives, 
outnumbered  by  a  thousand  to  one.  A  man  might  there- 
fore well  feel  his  helplessness  to  render  any  assistance  to 
those  dear  to  him  in  the  event  of  a  general  uprising  of 
the  people.  Soldiers  without  family  ties  take  things 
lightly,  they  are  ready  for  danger  and  for  death  if  needs 
be,  but  they  can  always  hope  to  get  through  somehow ; 
but  the  man  with  a  wife  and  children  in  India,  at  the 
time  when  a  general  outbreak  was  anticipated,  would 
have  the  deepest  cause  for  anxiety.  Not,  however,  that 
at  this  time  any  one  at  Sandynugghur  looked  for  any- 
thing so  terrible.  There  was  a  spirit  of  insubordination 
abroad  in  the  native  troops,  no  doubt,  but  no  one  doubted 


£4  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

but  that  it  would,  with  more  or  less  trouble,  be  put 
down.  And  so  things  went  on  as  usual,  and  the  garden 
parties  and  the  drives,  and  the  friendly  evening  visiting 
continued  just  as  before.  It  was  at  one  of  these  pleasant 
evening  gatherings  that  the  first  blow  fell.  Most  of  the 
officers  of  the  station,  their  wives,  and  the  two  or  three 
civilians  were  collected  at  Major  Warrener's.  The  win- 
dows were  all  open.  The  girls  were  playing  a  duet  on. 
the  piano ;  five  or  six  other  ladies  were  in  the  drawing- 
room,  and  about  the  same  number  of  gentlemen  were 
standing  or  sitting  by  them,  some  four  or  five  were  loung- 
ing in  the  veranda  enjoying  their  cheroots;  native  serv- 
ants in  their  white  dresses  moved  noiselessly  about  with 
iced  lemonade  and  wine,  when  a  Sepoy  came  up  the  walk. 
"What  is  it?"  asked  Major  Warrener,  who  was  one  of 
the  group  in  the  veranda. 
,    "Dispatch  for  the  Colonel  Sahib." 

!  The  colonel,  who  was  sitting  next  to  the  major,  held 
out  his  hand  for  the  message,  and  was  rising,  when  Major 
Yvrarrener  said : 

"Don't  move,  colonel;  boy,  bring  a  candle." 
The  servant  brought  it;  the  colonel  opened  the  envel- 
ope and  glanced  at  the  dispatch.     He  uttered  an  excla- 
mation which  was  half  a  groan,  half  a  cry. 

"Good  Heaven!  what  is  the  matter,  colonel?" 
"  'The  native   troops  at  Meerut  have  mutinied,  have 
murdered  their  officers  and  all  the  European  men,  women 
and   children   they    could  find,  and  are  marching  upon 
Delhi.      Look  after  your  regiment.'  " 

A  low  cry  broke  from  the  major.  This  was  indeed 
awful  news,  and  for  a  moment  the  two  men  sat  half- 
etunned  at  the  calamity,  while  the  sound  of  music  and 
merry  talk  came  in  through  the  open  window  like  a 
mockery  on  their  ears. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  25 

"Let  us  take  a  turn  in  the  compound,"  said  the  major, 
<<:where  no  one  can  hear  us." 

For  half  an  hour  they  walked  up  and  down  the  garden. 
There  could  be  no  doubt  about  the  truth  of  the  news, 
for  it  was  an  official  telegram  from  the  adjutant  at 
Meerut ;  and  as  to  the  extent  of  the  misfortune,  it  was 
terrible. 

"There  is  not  a  single  white  regiment  at  Delhi,"  ex- 
claimed the  colonel;  "these  fiends  will  have  it  all  their 
own  way,  and  at  Delhi  there  are  scores  of  European 
families.  Delhi  once  in  their  hands  will  be  a  center,  and 
the  mutiny  will  spread  like  wildfire  over  India.  "What 
was  the  general  at  Meerut  about  ?  What  were  the  white 
troops  up  to  ?  It  is  as  inexplicable  as  it  is  terrible.  Is  there 
anything  to  be  done,  major,  do  you  think?"  But  Major 
"Warrener  could  think  of  nothing.  The  men  at  present 
knew  nothing  of  the  news,  but  the  tidings  would  reach 
them  in  two  or  three  days;  for  news  in  India  spreads 
from  village  to  village,  and  town  to  town,  with  almost 
incredible  speed,  and  Meerut  was  but  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  distant. 

"Had  we  better  tell  them  inside?"  the  major  asked. 

"No,"  answered  the  colonel;  "let  them  be  happy  for 
to-night ;  they  will  know  the  news  to-morrow.  As  they 
are  breaking  up,  ask  all  the  officers  to  come  round  to  the 
inessroom ;  I  will  meet  them  there  and  we  can  talk  the 
matter  over;  but  let  the  ladies  have  one  more  quiet  night; 
they  will  want  all  their  strength  and  fortitude  for  what  is 
to  come." 

And  so,  clearing  their  brows,  they  went  into  the  house 
and  listened  to  the  music  and  joined  in  the  talk  until  ten 
o'clock  struck  and  every  one  got  up  to  go,  and  so  ended 
the  last  happy  evening  at  Sandynugghur. 

The  next  morning  brought  the  news  of  the  rising  at 


25  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Delhi,  but  it  was  not  till  two  days  later  that  letters  giv- 
ing any  details  of  these  terrible  events  arrived,  and  the 
full  extent  of  the  awful  calamity  was  known. 

The  flame  broke  out  at  Meerut  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  of  Sunday,  the  10th  of  May.  On  the  previous 
day  a  punishment  parade  had  been  held  to  witness  the 
military  degradation  of  a  number  of  men  of  the  Third 
Native  Cavalry,  who  had  been  guilty  of  mutinous  conduct 
in  respect  to  the  cartridges.  The  native  regiments  at  the 
(station  consisted  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  the  Eleventh  and 
Twentieth  Infantry ;  there  were  also  in  garrison  the  Six- 
tieth Rifles,  the  Sixth  Dragoon  Guards,  and  two  batteries 
of  artillery — a  force  amply  sufficient,  if  properly  handled, 
to  have  crushed  the  native  troops,  and  to  have  nipped 
the  mutiny  in  the  bud.  Unhappily,  they  were  not  well- 
handled.  The  cantonments  of  Meerut  were  of  great  ex- 
tent, being  nearly  five  miles  in  length  by  two  in  breadth, 
the  barracks  of  the  British  troops  were  situated  at  some 
distance  from  those  of  the  native  regiments,  and  the 
action  of  the  troops  was  paralyzed  by  the  incompetency 
of  the  general,  an  old  man  who  had  lost  all  energy,  and 
who  remained  in  a  state  of  indecision  while  the  men  of 
the  native  regiments  shot  their  officers,  murdered  all  the 
women  and  children,  and  the  white  inhabitants  whose 
bungalows  were  situated  at  their  end  of  their  canton- 
ment, opened  the  jail  doors,  and  after  setting  fire  to  the 
whole  of  this  quarter  of  Meerut,  marched  off  toward 
Delhi,  unmolested  by  the  British  troops.  Even  then  an 
orderly  sent  off  with  dispatches  to  the  officer  command- 
ing at  Delhi,  informing  him  of  what  had  happened,  and 
bidding  him  beware,  might  have  saved  the  lives  of  hun- 
dreds of  Englishmen  and  women,  even  if  it  were  too  late 
to  save  Delhi;  but  nothing  whatever  was  done;  the 
English  troops  made  a  few  meaningless  and  uncertain 


m  TIMES?  OF  PERIL.  27 

movements  and  marched  back  to  their  barracks.  No  osa 
came  forward  to  take  the  lead.  So  the  white  troops  cf 
Meerut  remained  stationary  under  arms  all  night,  and  tha 
English  population  of  Delhi  were  left  to  their  fate. 

From  Meerut  to  Delhi  is  thirty-two  miles,  and  tha 
mutineers  of  Meerut,  marching  all  night,  arrived  near  tha 
town  at  eight  in  the  morning.  Singularly  enough,  the 
ancient  capital  of  India,  the  place  around  which  the  as- 
pirations of  Hindoos  and  Mohammedans  alike  centered, 
and  where  the  ex-emperor  and  his  family  still  resided, 
was  left  entirely  to  the  guard  of  native  troops;  not  a 
single  British  regiment  was  there,  not  a  battery  of  white 
troops.  As  the  center  of  the  province,  a  large  white  pop- 
ulation were  gathered  there— the  families  of  the  officers 
of  the  native  infantry  and  artillery,  of  the  civil  officers  of 
the  province,  merchants,  bankers,  missionaries,  and 
others.  As  at  all  other  Indian  towns,  the  great  bulk  or 
the  white  inhabitants  lived  in  the  cantonments  outsida 
the  town;  had  it  not  been  for  this  not  one  would  have 
escaped  the  slaughter  that  commenced  as  soon  as  the 
Third  Cavalry  from  Meerut  rode  into  the  town.  The 
Fifty-fourth  Native  Infantry,  who  had  hastily  been 
marched  out  to  meet  them,  fraternized  with  them  at  once, 
and  standing  quietly  by,  looked  on  while  their  officera 
were  murdered  by  the  cavalrymen.  Then  commenced  a 
scene  of  murder  and  atrocity  which  is  happily  without 
parallel  in  history.  Suffice  to  say,  that  with  the  ex- 
ception of  some  half-dozen,  who  in  one  way  or  other  man- 
aged to  escape,  the  whole  of  the  white  population  inside 
the  walls  of  Delhi  were  murdered  under  circumstances  of 
the  most  horrible  and  revolting  cruelty.  Had  the  news 
of  the  outbreak  of  Meerut  been  sent  by  a  swift  mounted 
messenger  the  whole  of  these  hapless  people  would  have 
had   time  to  leave  the   town   before   the    arrival   of  tha 


28  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

mutineers.  Those  in  the  cantonments  outside  the  city- 
fared  somewhat  better.  Some  were  killed,  but  the 
greater  part  made  their  escape ;  and  although  many  were 
murdered  on  the  way,  either  by  villagers  or  by  bodies  of 
mutineers,  the  majority  reached  Meerut  or  Aliwal.  The 
sufferers  of  Delhi  did  not  die  wholly  unavenged.  Inside 
the  city  walls  was  an  immense  magazine  containing  vast 
stores  of  powder,  cartridges,  and  arms.  It  was  all-impor- 
tant that  this  should  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  muti- 
neers. This  was  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Willoughby  of 
the  royal  artillery,  who  had  with  him  Lieutenants  Forrest 
and  Rayner,  and  six  English  warrant  and  non-commis- 
eioned  officers,  Buckley,  Shaw,  Scully,  Crow,  Edwards,  and 
Stewart.  The  following  account  was  given  by  Lieutenant 
Forrest : 

"The  gates  of  the  magazine  were  closed  and  barri- 
caded, and  every  possible  arrangement  that  could  be 
made  was  at  once  commenced.  Inside  the  gate  leading 
to  the  park  were  placed  two  six-pounders  doubly  charged 
with  grape.  These  were  under  acting  sub-conductor 
Crow  and  Sergeant  Stewart,  with  lighted  matches  in  their 
hands.  Their  orders  were  that  if  any  attempt  was  made 
to  force  the  gate  the  guns  were  to  be  fired  at  once,  and 
they  were  to  fall  back  to  that  part  of  the  magazine  where 
Lieutenant  Willoughby  and  I  were  posted.  The  princi- 
pal gate  of  the  magazine  was  similarly  defended  by  two 
guns  and  by  the  chevaux-de-frise  laid  down  in  the  inside. 
For  the  further  defense  of  this  gate  and  the  magazine  in 
its  vicinity  there  were  two  six-pounders  so  placed  as  to 
command  it  and  a  small  bastion  close  by.  "Within  sixty 
yards  of  the  gate,  and  commanding  two  cross  roads,  were 
three  six-pounders,  and  one  twenty-four  pound  howitzer, 
which  could  be  so  managed  as  to  act  upon  any  part  of 
the  magazine  in  that  neighborhood.     After  all  these  guns 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  g& 

end  howitzers  had  been  placed  in  the  several  positions 
above  named  they  were  loaded  with  a  double  charge  of 
grape.  After  these  arrangements  had  been  completed  a 
train  was  laid  ready  to  be  fired  at  a  preconcerted  signal. 
On  the  enemy  approaching  the  walls  of  the  magazine, 
which  was  provided  with  scaling  ladders,  the  native  es- 
tablishment at  once  deserted  us  by  climbing  up  the 
eloped  sheds  on  the  inside  of  the  magazine  and  descend- 
ing the  ladders  on  the  outside. ' ' 

When  the  attack  began  the  mutineers  climbed  the  walls 
in  great  numbei-s  and  opened  fire  upon  the  little  garrison ; 
these  replied  by  an  incessant  fire  of  grape  shot,  which 
told  severely  upon  the  enemy.  There  were  but  two  men 
to  each  gun,  but  they  stood  nobly  to  their  pieces  until 
all  were  more  or  less  wounded  by  the  enemy's  fire.  Find- 
ing that  no  more  could  be  done,  Lieutenant  Willoughby 
gave  the  order,  Conductor  Scully  fired  the  several  trains, 
and  in  another  instant  a  tremendous  explosion  took  place 
which  shook  all  Delhi,  and  covered  the  city  with  a  cloud 
of  black  smoke.  It  was  calculated  that  from  fifteen 
hundred  to  two  thousand  of  the  mutineers  and  rabble 
of  the  town  were  killed  by  the  falling  walls,  or 
crushed  under  the  masses  of  masonry.  Lieutenant  "Wil- 
loughby, Forrest,  Kayner,  and  Conductor  Buckley  sur- 
vived the  explosion,  and  effected  their  retreat  in  the  con- 
fusion through  a  small  sallyport  on  the  river  face.  The 
mutineers  were  so  enraged  by  their  misfortune  that  they 
rushed  to  the  palace  and  demanded  of  the  king  a  number 
of  European  officers  and  ladies  who  had  sought  refuge 
under  his  protection.  They  were  handed  over  to  the 
mutineers,  and  at  once  slaughtered. 

The  Warreners  listened  with  pale  faces  as  their  father, 
on  his  return  from  the  orderly  room,  where  the  news  had 
been  discussed,  told  them  the  sad  story. 


30  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"There  is  nothing  to  be  done,  I  suppose,  papa?"  Ned 
said  gently. 

"No,  my  boy;  we  are  in  the  hands  of  God.  We  must 
wait  now  for  what  may  come.  At  present  the  regiment 
professes  its  fidelity,  and  has  now  volunteered  to  march 
against  the  mutineers.  The  colonel  believes  them,  so  do 
some  of  the  others;  I  do  not;  it  may  be  that  the  men 
mean  what  they  say  at  present,  but  we  know  that  emis- 
saries come  and  go,  and  every  fresh  rising  will  be  aa 
incentive  to  them.  It  is  no  use  blinking  the  truth,  dear; 
we  are  like  men  standing  on  a  loaded  mine  which  may  at 
any  moment  explode.  I  have  been  thinking,  indeed  for 
the  last  week  I  have  done  nothing  but  think,  what  is  best 
to  be  done.  If  the  mutiny  breaks  out  at  night  or  at  any 
time  when  we  are  not  on  parade,  we  have  agreed  that  all 
the  whites  shall  make  at  once  for  Mr.  Thomson's  house. 
It  is  the  strongest  of  any  of  the  residences — for  thero 
would,  of  course,  be  no  getting  to  the  mess-house — and 
then  we  will  sell  our  lives  as  dearly  as  we  may.  If  it 
happens  when  we  are  on  parade,  defense  by  the  rest  of 
the  residents  would  be  useless.  There  are  but  six  civil- 
ians, with  you  two  boys — for  we  have  counted  you — 
eight.  Probably  but  few  of  you  could  gain  Thomson's 
house  in  time,  and  if  all  did,  your  number  would  be  toa 
small  to  defend  it.  There  remains  then  nothing  but 
flight.  The  rising  will  most  likely  take  place  on  parade. 
The  residents  have  agreed  that  each  day  they  will,  on 
some  excuses  or  other,  have  their  traps  at  their  door  at 
that  hour,  so  that  at  the  sound  of  the  first  shot  fired  they 
may  jump  in  and  drive  off." 

"But  you,  papa?"  Kate  asked. 

"My  dear,"  said  her  father,  "I  shall  be  on  duty;  so 
long  as  a  vestige  of  the  regiment  remains  as  a  regimen', 
I  shall  be  with  it ;  if  the  whole  regiment  breaks  up  and 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  £1 

attacks  us,  those  who  do  not  fall  at  the  first  volley  will 
foe  justified  in  trying  to  save  their  lives.  The  colonel, 
the  adjutant,  and  m3rself  are  mounted  officers,  and  two  or 
three  of  the  others  will  have  their  dogcarts  each  day 
brought  up  to  the  mess-house,  as  they  often  do.  If  there 
is  a  mutiny  on  parade,  the  unmounted  officers  will  make 
for  them,  and  we  who  are  mounted  will  as  far  as  possible 
cover  their  retreat.     So  it  is  arranged. ' ' 

"But  will  the  road  be  open  to  Meerut,  uncle?"  Rose 
asked  after  a  pause,  for  the  danger  seemed  so  strange  and 
terrible  that  they  felt  stunned  by  it. 

"No,  my  dear;  it  certainly  will  not.  There  are  three 
garrison  towns  between  us,  and  they  also  will  probably 
be  up.  The  only  thing  is  to  keep  to  the  road  for  the  first 
ten  or  twelve  miles,  and  then  take  to  the  woods,  and 
make  your  way  on  foot.  I  have  spoken  to  Saba  this 
morning.  We  can  trust  her;  she  nursed  you  all,  and 
has  lived  with  me  ever  since  as  a  sort  of  pensioner  till 
you  came  out.  I  have  asked  her  to  get  two  dresses  of 
Mussulman  countrywomen;  in  those  only  the  eyes  are 
visible,  while  the  Hindoo  dress  gives  no  concealment.  I 
have  also  ordered  her  to  get  me  two  dresses :  one,  such 
as  a  young  Mussulman  zemindar  wears ;  the  other  as  his 
retainer.  They  are  for  you,  boys.  Keep  the  bundles 
when  you  get  them  in  that  closet  in  the  dining-room,  so 
as  to  be  close  at  hand,  and  in  case  of  alarm  be  sure  and 
take  them  with  you.  Remember  my  instructions  are 
absolute.  If  by  day,  escape  in  the  trap  at  the  first  alarm ; 
if  the  trap  is  not  available,  escape  at  once  on  foot.  If 
you  hear  the  enemy  are  close  hide  till  nightfall  in  that 
thick  clump  of  bushes  in,  the  corner  of  the  compound, 
then  make  for  that  copse  of  trees,  and  try  and  find  your 
way  to  Meerut.  I  trust  I  may  be  with  you,  or  that  I  may 
join  you  on  the  road.     But  in  any  case,  it  will  relieve  my 


£2  J2V  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

anxiety  greatly  to  know  that  your  course  is  laid  down. 
If  I  had  to  return  here  to  look  for  you  I  should  bring  my 
pursuers  after  me,  and  your  chance  of  escape  would  be 
gone — for  I  rely  upon  yom  all  to  follow  my  instruction 
to  the  letter." 

"Yes,  indeed,  papa,"  was  the  unanimous  answer  of 
the  young  Warreners,  who  were  deeply  affected  at  the 
solemn  manner  in  which  their  father  spoke  of  the  situa- 
tion. 

"I  have  a  brace  of  revolvers  upstairs,"  he  said,  "and 
will  give  one  to  each  of  you  boys.  Carry  them  always, 
but  put  them  on  under  your  coats,  so  that  they  may  not 
be  noticed ;  it  would  be  as  well  for  you  to  practice  your- 
selves in  their  use ;  but  when  you  do  so  always  go  some 
distance  from  the  station,  so  that  the  sound  will  not  be 
heard." 

"Can  you  give  Eose  and  me  a  pistol  each,  too,  papa?" 
Kate  said  quietly. 

Major  Warrener  kissed  his  daughter  and  niece  ten- 
derly. 

"I  have  a  pair  of  small  double-barreled  pistols;  you 
shall  each  have  one,"  he  answered  with  a  deep  sigh. 

That  afternoon  the  young  Warreners  and  their  cousin 
went  out  for  a  walk,  and  fixing  a  piece  of  paper  against  a 
tree,  practiced  pistol  shooting  for  an  hour.  Any  passer- 
by ignorant  of  the  circumstances  would  have  wondered 
at  the  countenances  of  these  young  people,  engaged,  ap- 
parently, in  the  amusement  of  pistol  practice.  There 
was  no  smile  on  them,  no  merry  laugh  when  the  ball  went 
wide  of  the  mark,  no  triumphant  shout  at  a  successful 
shot.  Their  faces  were  set,  pale,  and  earnest.  Scarcely 
a  word  was  spoken.  Each  loaded  in  silence,  took  up  a 
place  at  the  firing  point,  and  aimed  steadily  and  seri- 
ously; the  boys  with  an  angry  eye  and  frowning  brow, 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  S3 

as  if  each  time  they  were  firing  at  a  deadly  foe ;  the  girls 
as  earnestly,  and  without  any  of  the  nervousness  or 
timidity  which  would  be  natural  in  girls  handling  fire- 
arms for  the  first  time.  Each  day  the  exercise  was 
repeated,  and  after  a  week's  practice  all  could  hit,  with  a 
fair  amount  of  certainty,  a  piece  of  paper  six  inches 
square  at  a  distance  of  ten  yards. 

During  this  time  Captains  Dunlop  and  Manners  spent 
their  whole  time,  when  not  engaged  upon  their  military 
duties,  at  Major  Warrener's.  They  were  now  the  recog- 
nized lovers  of  Kate  and  Rose;  and  although  in  those 
days  of  tremendous  anxiety  and  peril  no  formal  engage- 
ments were  entered  upon,  the  young  people  understood 
each  other,  and  Major  Warrener  gave  his  tacit  approval. 
Very  earnestly  all  the  party  hoped  that  when  the  dread 
moment  came  it  might  come  when  they  were  all  together 
so  that  they  might  share  the  same  fate,  whatever  it  might 
be.  The  young  officers'  buggies  now  stood  all  day  in 
Major  "Warrener's  compound,  with  the  patient  syces 
squatting  near,  or  talking  with  the  servants,  while  the 
major's  horses  stood  ready  saddled  in  the  stables. 

However  much  the  party  might  hope  to  be  together 
when  the  crisis  came,  they  felt  that  it  was  improbable 
that  they  would  be  so,  for  at  the  first  symptoms  of  mutiny 
it  would  be  the  duty  of  the  officers  to  hasten  to  the  bar- 
racks to  endeavor  to  quell  it,  even  if  certain  death  should 
meet  them  there. 

In  the  face  of  the  tidings  from  Meerut  and  Delhi  all 
the  pretense  of  confidence  which  had  hitherto  been  kept 
up  at  the  station  came  to  an  end ;  and  even  had  there 
been  implicit  confidence  in  the  regiment  the  news  of 
such  terrible  events  would  have  caused  an  entire  cessa- 
tion of  the  little  amusements  and  gatherings  in  which 
Sandynugghur  had  previously  indulged. 


34  IF  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

As  is  usual  in  cases  of  extreme  danger,  the  variou3 
temperaments  of  people  come  strongly  into  relief  at  these 
awful  times.  The  pretty  young  wife  of  the  doctor  was 
nearly  wild  with  alarm.  Not  daring  to  remain  at  home 
alone  she  passed  the  day  in  going  from  house  to  house  of 
her  female  friends.  Advice  and  example  she  obtained 
from  these,  but  poor  comfort.  The  colonel's  wife  was  a3 
brave  as  any  man  in  the  station ;  she  hardly  shared  her 
husband's  opinion  that  the  regiment  would  remain  faith- 
ful in  the  midst  of  an  almost  general  defection ;  but  she 
was  calm,  self-possessed,  and  ready  for  the  worst. 

"It  is  no  use  crying,  my  dear,"  she  said  to  the  doctor's 
wife.  "Our  husbands  have  enough  to  worry  them  with- 
out being  shaken  by  our  tears.  Death,  after  all,  can  only 
come  once,  and  it  is  better  to  die  with  those  we  love  than 
to  be  separated. ' ' 

But  there  were  not  many  tears  shed  in  Sandynugghur. 
The  women  were  pale  and  quiet.  They  shook  hands  with 
a  pressure  which  meant  much,  lips  quivered,  and  tears 
might  drop  when  they  spoke  of  children  at  home ;  but 
this  was  not  often,  and  day  after  day  they  bore  the  terri- 
ble strain  with  that  heroic  fortitude  which  characterized 
English  women  in  India  during  the  awful  period  of  the 
mutiny. 

Ten  days  after  the  news  came  in  of  the  rising  at  Delhi 
Major  Warrener  told  his  family,  on  his  return  from 
parade,  that  the  regiment  had  again  declared  its  fidel- 
ity, and  had  offered  to  march  against  the  mutineers. 

"I  am  glad  of  it,"  he  said,  "because  it  looks  as  if  at 
present,  at  least,  they  have  not  made  up  their  minds  to 
mutiny,  and  I  shall  be  able  to  go  to  mess  with  a  lighter 
heart;  as  I  told  you  j^esterday,  it  is  the  colonel's  birth- 
day, so  we  all  diife  at  mess. " 

In  the  meantime   Saba  had   faithfully  carried  out  hor 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  35 

commission  as  to  the  dresses,  and  had  added  to  the 
bundles  a  bottle  containing  a  brown  juice  which  she  had 
extracted  from  some  berries;  this  was  to  be  used  for 
gtaining  the  skin,  and  so  completing  the  disguise. 
The  Warreners  knew  that  if  their  old  nurse  had  any  in- 
formation as  to  any  intended  outbreak  she  would  let 
them  know;  but  she  heard  nothing.  She  was  known  to 
foe  so  strongly  attached  to  the  major's  family  that  had 
the  other  servants  known  anything  of  it  they  would  have 
kept  it  from  her. 

The  hour  for  the  mess  dinner  was  eight,  and  the  young 
Warreners  had  finished  their  evening  meal  before  their 
father  started. 

"God  bless  you,  my  children,  and  watch  over  and  pro- 
tect us  all  till  we  meet  again!"  Such  was  the  solemn  leave 
taking  with  which  the  major  and  his  children  had 
parted — if  only  for  half  an  hour — since  the  evil  days 
began. 

For  an  hour  and  a  half  the  young  Warreners  and  their 
cousin  sat  and  read,  and  occasionally  talked. 

1  "It's  time  for  tea,"  Kate  said,  looking  at  her  watch; 
and  she  struck  a  bell  upon  the  table. 

Usually  the  response  was  almost  instantaneous;  but 
Kate  waited  two  minutes  and  then  rang  sharply  twice. 
There  was  still  no  reply. 

"He  must  be  asleep,"  she  said,  "or  out  of  hearing; 
but  it  is  curious  that  none  of  the  others  answer ! ' ' 

Dick  went  out  into  the  veranda,  but  came  in  again  in 
a  minute  or  two. 

"There  is  no  one  there,  Kate,  and  I  don't  hear  any  of 
them,  about  anywhere. " 

The  four  young  people  looked  at  each  other.  What 
did  this  mean?  Had  the  servants  left  in  a  body?  Did  they 
know  that  something  was  going  to  happen?  Such  were 
the  mute  questions  which  their  looks  asked  each  other. 


36  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Girls!"  said  Ned,  "put  your  dark  shawls  round  yon. 
It  may  be  nothing,  but  it  is  better  to  be  prepared.  Grefe 
the  bundles  out.  Dick,  put  a  bottle  of  wine  in  your 
pocket,  and  let  us  all  till  our  pockets  with  biscuits." 

Silently  and  quietly  the  others  did  as  he  told  them. 

"There  is  that  great  biscuit-tin  full,"  Ned  said,  when 
they  had  filled  their  pockets;  "let  us  empty  it  into  that 
cloth  and  tie  it  up.  Now,  if  you  will  put  your  shawls  on 
I  will  look  in  at  the  stables." 

In  a  couple  of  minutes  he  returned. 

"The  horses  are  all  unharnessed,"  he  said,  "and  not 
a  soul  is  to  be  seen.     Ah,  is  that  Saba?" 

The  old  nurse  had  been  found  asleep  in  her  favorite 
place  outside  the  door  of  her  young  mistresses'  room. 

"Do  you  know  what  is  the  matter,  Saba? — all  the  serv- 
ants are  gone!" 

The  old  nurse  shook  her  head.  "Bad  news;  no  tell 
Saba." 

"Now,  Saba,  get  ready  to  start" — for  the  nurse  had 
declared  that  she  would  accompany  them,  to  go  into  the 
villages  to  buy  food;  "Dick,  come  with  me;  we  will  put 
one  of  the  horses  into  the  dogcart." 

They  were  leaving  the  room  when  they  heard  the  sound 
of  a  rifle.  As  if  it  were  the  signal,  in  a  moment  the  air 
rang  with  rifle  shots,  shouts,  and  yells.  The  boj-s  leaped 
back  into  the  room  and  caught  up  the  bundles. 

"Quick,  for  your  lives,  ghis! — some  of  them  are  not 
fifty  yards  off!     To  the  bushes!     Come,  Saba!" 

"Saba  do  more  good  here,"  the  old  nurse  said;  and 
seated  herself  quietly  in  the  veranda. 

It  was  but  twenty  yards  to  the  bushes  they  had  marked 
as  the  place  of  concealment ;  and  as  they  entered  and 
crouched  down  there  came  the  sound  of  hurrying  feet 
and  a  band  of  Sepoys,  led  by  one  of  the  jemadars,  or 
native  officers,  rushed  up  to  the  veranda  from  the  bach. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  3? 

''Now,"  the  jemadar  shouted,  ''search  the  house;  kill 
the  boys,  but  keep  the  white  women ;  they  are  too  pretty 
to  hurt." 

Two  minutes'  search — in  which  furniture  was  upset, 
curtains  pulled  down  and  chests  ransacked — and  a  shout 
of  rage  proclaimed  that  the  house  was  empty. 

The  jemadar  shouted  to  his  men:  "Search  the  com- 
pound; they  can't  be  far  off;  some  of  you  run  out  to  the 
plain;  they  can't  have  got  a  hundred  yards  away;  be- 
sides our  guards  out  there  will  catch  them. ' ' 

The  old  nurse  rose  to  her  feet  just  as  the  Sepoys  were 
rushing  out  on  the  search. 

"It  is  of  no  use  searching,"  she  said;  "they  have  been 
gone  an  hour. ' ' 

"Gone  an  hour!"  shouted  the  enraged  jemadar;  "who 
told  them  of  the  attack?" 

"I  told  them,"  Saba  said  steadily;  "Saba  was  true  to 
her  salt." 

There  was  a  yell  of  rage  on  the  part  of  the  mutineers, 
and  half  a  dozen  bayonets  darted  into  the  faithful  old 
servant's  body,  and  without  a  word  she  fell  dead  on  the 
veranda,  a  victim  to  her  noble  fidelity  to  the  children  she 
had  nursed. 

"Now,"  the  jemadar  said,  "strip  the  place;  carry 
everything  off;  it  is  all  to  be  divided  to-morrow,  and 
then  we  will  have  a  blaze." 

Five  minutes  sufficed  to  carry  off  all  the  portable  arti- 
cles from  the  bungalow ;  the  furniture,  as  useless  to  the 
Sepoys,  was  left,  but  everything  else  was  soon  cleared 
away,  and  then  the  house  was  lit  in  half  a  dozen  places. 
The  fire  ran  quickly  up  the  muslin  curtains,  caught  the 
dry  reeds  of  the  tatties,  ran  up  the  bamboos  which 
formed  the  top  of  the  veranda,  and  in  five  minutes  the 
house  was  a  sheet  of  flame. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL, 


CHAPTER   m. 

THE    FLIGHT. 

The  young  Warreners  and  their  cousin,  hurrying  on9 
soon  gained  the  thick  bush  toward  which  they  were 
directing  their  steps.  As  they  cowered  down  in  its  shel- 
ter the  girls  pulled  their  shawls  over  their  heads,  and 
with  their  hands  to  their  ears  to  keep  out  the  noise  of  the 
awful  din  around  them,  they  awaited,  in  shuddering 
horror,  their  fate.  The  boys  sat,  revolver  in  hand,  de- 
termined to  sell  their  lives  dearly.  Ned  translated  the 
jemadar's  speech,  and  at  his  order  to  search  the  com- 
pound both  felt  that  all  was  over,  and  with  a  grasp  of 
each  other's  hand,  prepared  to  sally  forth  and  die.  Then 
came  Saba's  act  of  noble  self-sacrifice,  and  the  boys  had 
difficulty  in  restraining  themselves  from  rushing  out  to 
avenge  her. 

In  the  meantime  the  night  was  hideous  with  noises ; 
musket  shots,  the  sharp  cracks  of  revolvers,  shouts,  cries, 
and  at  times  the  long  shrill  screams  of  women.  It  was 
too  much  to  be  borne,  and  feeling  that  for  the  present 
Saba's  act  had  saved  them,  the  boys,  laying  down  their 
weapons,  pressed  their  hands  to  their  ears  to  keep  out 
the  din.  There  they  sat  for  half  an  hour,  stunned  by 
the  awful  calamity,  too  horror-struck  at  what  had 
passed,  and  at  the  probable  fate  of  their  father,  to  find 
relief  in  tears. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  the  fire  had  burned  itself  out, 
and  a  few  upright  posts  still  flickering  with  tongues  of 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  33 

fire,  and  a  heap  of  glowing  embers,  marked  where  tii3 
pretty  bungalow,  replete  with  every  luxury  and  comfort, 
had  stood  an  hour  before. 

Dick  was  the  first  to  move;  he  touched  Ned's  arm. 

"All  is  quiet  here  now,  but  they  may  take  it  into  their 
heads  to  come  back  and  search.  We  had  better  make 
for  the  trees ;  by  keeping  close  to  that  cactus  hedge  we 
shall  be  in  shadow  all  the  way. ' ' 

The  girls  were  roused  from  their  stupor  of  grief. 

"Now,  dears,  we  must  be  brave,"  said  Ned,  "and 
carry  out  our  orders.  God  has  protected  us  thus  far; 
let  us  pray  that  He  will  continue  to  do  so." 

In  another  five  minutes  the  little  party,  stealing  cau- 
tiously out  from  their  shelter,  kept  along  close  to  the 
wall  to  a  side  door  through  which  they  issued  forth  into 
the  open.  Ten  steps  took  them  to  the  cactus  hedge,  and, 
stooping  low  under  its  shelter  they  moved  on  till  they 
safely  reached  the  clump  of  trees. 

For  some  time  the  little  party  crouched  among  tha 
thick  bushes,  the  silence  broken  only  by  the  sobs  of  the 
girls.  Ned  and  Kichard  said  nothing,  but  the  tears  fell 
fast  down  their  cheeks.  The  crackling  of  the  flames  of 
many  of  the  burning  bungalows  could  be  distinctly 
heard ;  and  outside  the  shadow  of  the  trees  it  was  nearly 
as  light  as  day.  Yells  of  triumph  rose  on  the  night  air, 
but  there  was  no  firing  or  sounds  of  conflict,  and  resist- 
ance was  plainly  over.  For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they 
sat  there,  crushed  with  the  immensity  of  the  calamity. 
Then  Ned  roused  himself  and  took  the  lead. 

"Now,  dears,  the  fires  have  burned  down,  and  we  must 
be  moving,  for  we  should  be  far  away  from  here  before 
morning.  No  doubt  others  have  hidden  in  the  woods 
round  this  place,  and  those  black  fiends  will  be  searching 
everywhere  to-morrow.     Remember  what  our  orders  are  j" 


40  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

and  ho  paused  for  a  moment  to  choke  down  the  sob  which 
would  come  when  he  thought  of  who  had  given  the  order, 
and  how  it  was  given.  "We  were  to  make  for  Meerut. 
Be  strong  and  brave,  girls,  as  father  would  have  had  you. 
I  have  gone  over  the  course  on  the  district  map,  and  I 
think  I  can  keep  pretty  straight  for  it.  We  need  not 
change  our  clothes  now;  we  can  do  that  when  we  halt 
before  daylight.  We  must  walk  all  night,  to  be  as  far  as 
possible  away  before  the  search  begins.  We  know  this 
country  pretty  well  for  some  miles  round,  which  will 
make  it  easier.  Come,  girls,  take  heart;  it  is  possible 
yet  that  some  of  the  officers  have  cut  their  way  out, 
and  our  father  may  be  among  them.     Who  can  say?" 

"I  knew  that  he  had  talked  over  with  Dunlop  and  Man- 
ners the  very  best  course  to  take  whenever  they  might  be 
attacked,"  Dick  said,  in  a  more  cheerful  tone;  "so  they 
were  sure  to  keep  together,  and  if  any  one  has  got  away 
they  would. "  Neither  of  the  boys  had  at  heart  the  least 
hope,  but  they  spoke  as  cheerfully  as  they  could,  to  give 
strength  and  courage  to  the  girls.  Their  words  had 
their  effect.  Kate  rose,  and  taking  her  cousin's  arm, 
said: 

"Come,  Eose,  the  boys  are  right.  There  is  still  some 
hope ;  let  us  cling  to  it  as  long  as  we  can.  Now  let  us  be 
moving ;  but  before  we  go  let  us  all  thank  God  for  having 
saved  us  from  harm  so  far,  and  let  us  pray  for  His  pro- 
tection and  help  upon  the  road." 

Silently  the  little  group  knelt  in  prayer,  and  when 
they  rose  followed  Ned — who  had  naturally  assumed  the 
position  of  leader — out  into  the  open  country  beyond  the 
grove,  without  a  word  being  spoken.  The  moon  was  as 
yet  quite  young,  a  favorable  state  for  the  fugitives,  as  it 
afforded  light  enough  to  see  where  they  were  going  with- 
out giving  so  bright  a  light  as  to  betray  them  to  any  on© 
at  a  distance. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  41 

"The  moon  will  be  down  in  a  couple  of  hours,"  Ned 
said;  "but  by  that  time  we  shall  be  beyond  where  any 
sentries  are  likely  to  have  been  placed  on  the  road,  so  we 
can  then  trust  ourselves  on  that  till  it  begins  to  get  day- 
light. We  must  keep  in  the  fields  till  we  are  past  Nus- 
sara,  which  is  five  miles  by  the  road ;  then  we  can  walk 
straight  on.  There  is  a  nullah  a  few  yards  on ;  we  had 
better  keep  in  that  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile ;  it  does  not  go 
quite  the  way  we  want,  but  it  will  be  safer  to  follow  it 
till  we  are  well  out  of  sight  of  any  one  who  may  be  watch- 
ing the  plain. " 

They  scrambled  down  into  the  bed  of  the  nullah. 
Then  Kate  said,  "Walk  on  as  fast  as  you  can,  Ned;  we 
can  keep  up  with  you,  and  if  we  hurry  on  we  shan't  be 
able  to  think." 

"All  right,"  Ned  answered;  "I  will  go  fast  for  a  bit, 
but  you  must  not  knock  yourselves  up ;  we  have  a  long 
journey  before  us." 

Walking  fast,  however,  was  impossible  at  the  bottom 
©f  the  nullah ;  for  it  was  pitch  dark  between  its  steep 
banks,  and  there  were  bowlders  and  stones  lying  here  and 
there.  After  half  an  hour's  walking  Ned  scrambled  up 
and  looked  back. 

"It  is  quite  safe  now,"  he  said;  "let  us  make  as 
straight  as  we  can  for  Nussara. ' ' 

Kate  Warrener  and  Kose  Hertford  have  never  been  able 
to  recall  any  incidents  of  that  night's  walk.  Mechanic- 
ally, as  in  a  dreadful  dream,  they  followed  Ned's  guid- 
ance, stumbling  across  little  water  courses,  tramping 
through  marshy  ricefields,  climbing  into  and  out  of  deep 
nullahs,  now  pausing  to  listen  to  the  barking  of  a  village 
dog,  now  making  their  way  through  a  thick  clump  of 
trees,  and  at  last  tramping  for  hours — that  seemed  ages 
- — along  the  dead  flat  of  the  highroad.     This  at  the  first 


42  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

faint  dawn  of  morning  they  left  and  took  refuge  in  a 
thick  grove,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  highway.  Be- 
fore throwing  themselves  down  to  rest  the  girls,  at  Ned's 
earnest  request,  tried  to  eat  a  piece  of  biscuit,  but  tried 
in  vain;  they,  however,  each  sipped  a  little  wine  from 
the  bottles,  and  then,  utterly  worn  out  and  exhausted, 
soon  forgot  their  misery  in  a  deep  and  heavy  sleep. 

The  sun  was  upon  the  point  of  setting  when  their  com- 
panions aroused  them,  and  they  woke  up  to  their  sorrows 
and  dangers.  The  day  had  passed  quietly;  the  boys, 
after  both  sleeping  for  some  four  or  five  hours,  had 
watched  by  turns.  No  one  had  approached  the  wood; 
but  a  party  of  four  Sepoys,  mounted  on  horses,  had  passed 
from  Sandynugghur ;  and  a  larger  party  had,  later  in  the 
afternoon,  come  along  in  the  other  direction.  From  this 
the  boys  guessed  that  a  successful  revolt  had  also  taken 
place  at  NaJgwa,  the  nest  station  to  Sandynugghur. 

"Now,  girls,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  eat.  Here  are 
biscuits  for  some  days,  and  the  tw o  bottles  of  wine,  which 
we  must  be  sparing  of.  Dick  and  I  have  eaten  lots  of 
biscuits,  and  have  had  some  water  from  a  well  at  a  little 
distance  behind  the  wood.  There  was  a  large  gourd 
lying  by  it,  which  we  have  taken  the  liberty  of  borrow- 
ing. You  can  drink  some  water  if  you  like,  but  you 
must  each  take  a  glass  of  wine.  You  must  keep  up  your 
strength.  There  is  no  one  in  sight,  so  if  you  like  you 
can  go  to  the  well  and  have  a  wash.  Don't  be  longer 
than  you  can  help ;  it  would  be  ruin  to  be  seen  before 
we  have  changed  our  clothes.  While  you  are  away  wash- 
ing Dick  and  I  will  put  on  our  dresses,  and  when  you 
come  back  you  can  do  the  same.  "We  can  stain  our  faces 
and  hands  afterward. ' ' 

The  girls  chose  to  have  their  wash  first  and  their  meal 
afterward,  and  felt  refreshed  and  brighter  after  they  had 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL,  43 

done  so.  Then  they  dressed  in  the  clothes  Saba  had  pro- 
vided for  them,  and  could  at  any  other  time  have 
laughed  at  the  comicality  of  their  aspect,  muffled  up  in 
white,  with  only  their  eyes  visible.  The  awkward  shoes 
were  the  only  part  of  the  costume  to  which  they  objected; 
but  the  sight  of  European  boots  below  the  native  dress 
would  have  betrayed  them  instantly;  however,  they  de- 
termined to  adopt  them  for  walking  in  at  nights,  or  when 
crossing  the  fields,  and  to  put  the  native  shoes  in  a 
bundle,  to  be  worn  in  public. 

The  boys  presently  joined  them,  Ned  in  the  dress  of  a 
young  Mussulman  zemindar,  Dick  as  his  follower. 

"I  should  not  have  known  you  in  the  least,"  Eose 
said;  "as  far  as  appearances  go  I  think  we  are  all  safe 
now." 

When  it  was  quite  dark  they  again  started,  regained 
the  road  and  kept  steadily  along  it.  After  two  hours' 
walking  they  approached  a  village.  After  some  consulta- 
tion it  as  decided  that  Dick,  whose  dress  was  the  darkest 
and  least  noticeable,  should  steal  forward  and  recon- 
noiter.  If  everyone  was  indoors  they  would  push  boldly 
through ;  if  not,  they  would  make  a  circuit  round  it.  In 
ten  minutes  he  returned. 

"Ned,  there  are  two  troopers'  horses  standing  before 
the  largest  house  of  the  place.  I  suppose  they  belong 
to  some  of  the  men  of  the  cavalry  regiment  at  Nalgwa. 
If  we  could  but  steal  them!" 

"Splendid,  Dick;  why  should  we  not?  I  can  get  on 
one,  you  on  the  other;  one  of  the  girls  can  sit  behind 
each  of  us,  with  her  arms  round  our  waists.  What  do 
you  say,  girls?  With  our  dress  it  would  be  natural  for 
us  to  be  on  horseback,  and  no  one  would  ask  any  ques- 
tions. We  are  pretty  safe,  because  if  they  come  out 
there  are  but  two  of  them,  and  we  are  more  than  a  match 
for  them  with  our  pistols." 


AA  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"It  seems  a  terrible  risk  to  run,  Ned;  but  I  do  think 
it  would  be  our  best  plan.     What  do  you  say,  Rose?" 

"I  think  we  bad  better  try,  Kate." 

"Now  let  us  settle  everything  before  we  start,"  said 
Ned.  "We  must  mount  first,  I  think,  that  we  may  bo 
able  to  help  you  more  easily,  and  you  would  have  less 
risk  of  falling  off  if  you  get  up  in  front  of  us.  "We  can 
change  when  we  have  gone  half  a  mile  Will  you  stand 
close  to  Dick,  Kate,  when  he  mounts;  Rose,  you  keep 
close  to  me.  The  moment  we  are  fairly  in  the  saddle  and 
have  got  the  reins  in  our  hands  you  put  your  foot  on 
mine  and  take  hold  of  my  hand  and  climb  up  in  the  sad- 
dle in  front  of  me.  Put  your  arms  round  our  necks  and 
hold  us,  because  we  shall  want  one  hand  for  the  reins, 
the  other  for  a  pistol. ' ' 

"Let  us  cut  a  stick,  Ned,  to  give  them  a  lick  and  mako 
them  start  at  a  gallop. ' ' 

Very  gently  and  with  bated  breath  they  stole  up  the 
village.  The  horses  were  still  standing  with  their  reins 
thrown  over  a  hook  in  the  wall.  Very  quietly  the  boys 
unhooked  the  reins,  but  the  horses  moved  uneasily,  and 
objected  to  their  mounting  them,  for  horses  accustomed 
to  natives  dislike  to  be  touched  by  Europeans.  However, 
the  boys  had  just  managed  to  climb  into  their  seats  when 
a  shutter  of  the  house  opened,  and  a  voiee  said  in  Hin- 
doostani,  "What  is  fidgeting  the  horses?"  Then  a  head 
looked  out. 

"Some  one  is  stealing  the  horses,"  he  shouted. 

"Quick,  girls,  up  with  you,"  Ned  said;  and  the  girls, 
as  light  as  feathers,  sprang  up.  "Go  along,"  the  hoyn 
cried,  bringing  down  their  sticks  on  the  animals' 
sides.  Dick's  at  once  leaped  forward,  but  Ned's  horse 
only  backed.  Ned  gave  his  stick  to  Rose  and  seized  his 
pistol,  which  was  cocked  and  ready  for  use.     As  he  did 


1W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  45 

eo  a  native  trooper  rushed  from  the  house.  As  he  came 
out  Ned  fired,  and  the  man  fell  forward  on  his  face. 

Startled  by  the  shot,  the  horse  darted  off  after  his  com- 
panion. For  a  few  minutes  they  went  forward  at  a 
gallop,  the  boys  holding  on  as  well  as  they  could,  but 
expecting  every  moment  to  be  thrown  off.  For  awhile 
shouts  and  cries  were  heard  from  the  village,  and  then 
all  was  quiet  again.     The  two  boys  reined  in  their  horses. 

"That  was  awful,"  Dick  said;  "I  would  rather  sit  on 
the  yardarm  in  a  storm  than  ride  on  that  beast  any  fur- 
ther at  the  pace  we  have  been  going." 

The  girls  had  not  spoken  a  word  since  they  started, 
and  they  now  slipped  to  the  ground.  It  was  not  an  easy 
thing  for  them  to  get  up  behind,  and  several  slips  were 
made  before  their  attempts  were  successful.  Once 
seated,  they  were  more  comfortable,  and  they  again  went 
on,  this  time  at  an  easy  canter.  After  half  an  hour's 
ride  they  came  to  a  cross  road,  and  turned  up  there, 
going  now  at  a  walk.  After  awhile  they  took  a  well- 
marked  path  running  in  a  parallel  direction  to  the  road ; 
this  they  followed  for  some  time,  passing  fearlessly 
through  one  or  two  small  villages. 

Then,  feeling  by  the  flagging  walk  of  their  horses  that 
they  were  becoming  fatigued,  they  plunged  deep  into  a 
thick  wood,  dismounted,  and  prepared  for  the  night. 
Attached  to  the  saddle  of  each  horse  was  a  nosebag  with 
some  forage.  These  were  put  on,  the  horses  fastened  up, 
and  the  little  party  were  soon  asleep  again. 

Before  starting  next  morning  the  first  care  of  the  boys 
was  to  take  off  the  embroidery  of  the  horsecloths,  and 
as  much  of  the  metal  work  on  the  bridles  as  could  be 
possibly  dispensed  with,  in  order  to  conceal  the  fact  that 
the  horses  had  belonged  to  a  British  cavalry  regiment; 
then  they  mounted,  with  the  girls  behind  them,  and  roda 


46  ET  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

quietly  forward,  taking  care  not  to  travel  by  the  main 
road,  as  the  news  of  the  carrying  off  the  horses  would 
have  been  generally  known  there. 

They  passed  through  several  villages,  attracting  but 
little  attention  as  they  did  so,  for  there  was  now  nothing 
unusual  in  the  appearance  of  a  Mohammedan  zemindar  and 
follower  riding  with  two  closely-veiled  women  en  croupe. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  they  stopped  at  a  village  store,  and 
Ned  purchased,  without  exciting  any  apparent  suspicion, 
some  grain  for  the  horses.  That  night  they  slept  &3 
usual  in  a  wood,  and  congratulated  themselves  on  having 
made  fully  twenty-five  miles  of  their  journey  toward 
Meerut. 

The  nest  morning,  after  two  miles'  riding,  they  en- 
tered a  large  village.  As  they  were  passing  through  it  a 
number  of  peasants  suddenly  rushed  out  into  the  road 
and  shouted  to  them  to  stop.  They  were  armed  with 
sticks  and  hoes,  and  a  few  had  guns.  Looking  behind, 
Ned  saw  a  similar  body  fill  up  the  road  behind  them,  cut- 
ting off  their  escape. 

"Look,  Ned,  at  that  old  fellow  with  the  gun;  that's 
the  man  who  sold  us  the  grain  last  night,"  Dick  said. 

c'"We  must  charge  them,  Dick;  there's  nothing  else  to 
do.     Hold  tight,    girls.     Now  for  your  revolver,  Dick! 


And,  digging  their  heels  into  their  horses'  sides  the 
boys  rode  at  the  crowd  of  peasants.  There  was  a  dis- 
charge of  guns,  and  Dick  felt  as  if  a  hot  iron  had  been 
drawn  suddenly  across  his  cheek ;  then  they  were  in  tha 
midst  of  the  crowd,  emptying  their  revolvers  with  deadly 
effect  among  them;  some  fell,  and  the  horses  dashed 
forward,  followed  by  the  yells  of  their  assailants.  A 
minute  later  three  or  four  more  guns  were  discharged, 
the  rear  party  having  now  joined  the  other,  and  bein^j 
therefore  able  for  the  first  timo  to  fire. 


nST  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Dick  heard  a  little  startled  cry  from  Kate. 

"Are  you  hurt,  darling?"  lie  cried,  in  alarm. 

"Nothing  to  speak  of,  Dick.     Eide  on." 

In  a  quarter  of  a  mile  they  drew  rein,  and  found 
a  hall  had  passed  through  the  upper  part  of  Kate's  arm, 
as  it  went  round  Dick's  body.  Fortunately,  it  had  gone 
through  the  flesh  only,  without  touching  the  bone.  Dick 
was  bleeding  copiously  from  a  wound  across  the  cheek. 

"Another  two  inches  to  the  right,"  he  said,  "and  it 
would  have  taken  me  fairly  in  the  mouth.  It's  well  it's 
no  worse." 

Kate's  arm  was  soon  bandaged  up,  and  a  handkerchief 
tied  round  Dick's  face.  Ned  proposed  that  for  Kate's 
sake  they  should  make  a  halt  at  the  first  wood  they  came 
to,  but  Kate  would  not  hear  of  it. 

"On  the  contrary,  Ned,  we  ought  to  press  forward  as 
hard  as  we  can,  for  it  is  very  possible  that  at  that  village 
where  we  were  recognized — I  suppose  because  they  had 
heard  about  the  horses  —  they  may  have  dispatched 
people  to  the  main  road,  as  well  as  further  on,  to  stop  us 
here ;  and  we  may  be  pursued  at  any  moment  if  there 
happens  to  be  any  native  cavalry  upon  the  road.  Evi- 
dently they  are  very  much  in  earnest  about  catching  us, 
and  have  sent  word  to  look  after  four  people  on  two 
horses  all  over  the  country,  or  they  could  not  have  known 
about  it  at  the  village  yesterday  evening." 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  right  Kate;  if  we  could  turn  off 
this  road  I  should  not  fear,  but  the  river  cannot  be  far  to 
our  right,  and  the  [main  road  is  to  our  left.  There  is 
nothing  for  it  but  to  press  straight  on.  Fortunately  the 
country  is  not  thickly  populated,  and  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  jungle.  If  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  we  must 
leave  our  horses  and  go  on  foot  again.  I  fear  that  is  more 
fatiguing  for  you,  but  we  can  hide  ourselves  a  good  deal 
better." 


48  £V  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  Eose  cried' 'They ar3 
coming  Ned;  there  is  a  party  of  cavalry  behind!" 

Ned  looked  round;  and  far  back  along  the  straight  road 
he  saw  a  body  of  horsemen. 

"They  are  a  long  distance  behind,"  he  said;  "now  for 
a  race!" 

The  boys  plied  their  sticks  and  the  horses  sprang  on  at 
full  gallop. 

"How  much  are  they  gaining,  Eose?"  he  asked,  after1 
twenty  minutes'  hard  riding. 

"They  are  nearer,  Ned — a  good  deal  nearer;  but  they 
have  not  gained  half  their  distance  yet. ' ' 

"The  sun  set  fully  ten  minutes  ago,"  Ned  said;  "in 
another  half-hour  it  will  be  dark.  Their  horses  must  ba 
done  up  or  they  would  gain  faster  on  us,  as  ours  have  to 
carry  double,  and  are  getting  terribly  blown ;  but  thera 
is  a  wood,  which  looks  a  large  one,  a  couple  of  miles 
ahead.  If  we  can  get  there  five  minutes  before  them  wa 
are  safe. ' ' 

By  dint  of  flogging  their  horses  they  entered  the  wood 
while  their  pursuers  were  half  a  mile  behind. 

"Another  hundred  yards,"  Ned  said,  "and  then  halt. 
Now,  off  we  get." 

In  an  instant  they  leaped  off,  and  gave  a  couple  of  sharp 
blows  with  their  sticks  to  the  horses,  who  dashed  off  at 
a  gallop  down  the  road. 

It  was  already  perfectly  dark  in  the  wood,  and  tha 
fugitives  hurried  into  the  thickest  part.  In  five  minutes 
they  heard  the  cavalry  come  thundering  past. 

"We  must  push  on,"  Ned  said;  "fortunately,  we  hava 
done  no  walking,  for  we  must  be  far  away  by  to-morrow 
morning.  They  will  come  up  with  the  horses  before 
very  long,  and  will  know  we  are  in  the  wood,  and  they 
will  search  it  through  and  through  in  the  morning." 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  AO, 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  and  the  wood  grew  thicker,  being 
filled  with  an  undergrowth  of  jungle. 

"If  you  will  stop  here,  Ned,  I  will  push  on  through 
this  jungle,  and  see  how  far  it  goes.  The  girls  can  never 
get  through  this.  I  think  we  are  near  the  edge  of  the 
wood ;  it  looks  lighter  ahead. ' ' 

In  ten  minutes  he  came  back. 

"Ned,  we  are  on  the  river;  it  is  not  fifty  yards  froia 
here. ' ' 

This  was  serious  news. 

"What  a  pity  we  did  not  take  to  the  left  instead  of  the 
right  when  we  left  the  horses.  However,  they  won't 
know  which  way  we  have  gone,  and  must  watch  the  whole 
wood.  We  must  push  forward,  and  by  keeping  as  close 
as  we  can  to  the  river  shall  most  likely  pass  them ;  be- 
sides, they  will  be  some  time  before  they  decide  upon 
forming  a  chain  round  the  wood,  and  as  there  are  only 
about  twenty  of  them  they  will  be  along  way  apart. 
There!  do  you  hear  them?  they  are  coming  back!  Novr 
let  us  go  on  again. ' ' 

In  ten  minutes  they  reached  the  edge  of  the  wood. 
They  could  see  nothing  of  the  horsemen.  Keeping  in  the 
fields,  but  close  to  the  line  of  jungle  that  bordered  the 
river,  they  walked  onward  for  upward  of  an  hour. 
Then  they  came  upon  the  road.  The  river  had  made  a 
bend,  and  the  road  now  followed  its  bank. 

"Shall  we  cross  it  and  keep  in  the  open  country,  cr 
follow  it,  girls?" 

"Follow  it  as  long  as  we  can  keep  on  walking,"  Kate 
said.  "It  is  in  the  right  direction,  and  we  can  go  on  so 
much  faster  than  in  the  fields.  If  we  hear  them  coming 
along  we  can  get  into  the  jungle  on  the  bank. " 

"Listen,  Kate,"  Rose  said  a  few  minutes  afterward  | 
''they  are  following!" 


50  EST  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"I  expect,"  Ned  said,  "they  find  that  the  wood  is  too 
big  to  be  watched,  and  some  of  them  are  going  on  to  get 
some  help  from  the  next  garrison,  or,  perhaps,  to  rouse 
up  a  village  and  press  them  in  the  work.  Trot  on,  girls; 
the  jungle  is  so  thick  here  you  could  hardly  squeeze 
yourself  in.  "We  have  plenty  of  time;  they  won't  be 
here  for  five  minutes  yet." 


M  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BROKEN   DOWN. 

They  ran  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  but  the  sound  of  the 
horses'  feet  grew  louder. 

"There  is  a  path  leading  to  the  river,"  Ned  said;  "let 
us  turn  down  there;  we  can  hide  under  the  jungle  on  the 
bank." 

Breathlessly  they  ran  down  to  the  river. 

"Hurrah!  here  is  a  boat,  jump  in;"  and  in  another 
minute  they  had  pushed  off  from  the  bank,  just  as  they 
heard  a  body  of  cavalry — for  that  they  were  troops  they 
knew  by  the  jingling  of  their  accouterments — pass  at  a 
gallop.  The  stream  was  strong,  and  the  boys  found  that 
with  the  rude  oars  they  could  make  no  way  whatever. 

"We  had  better  land  again  and  get  further  from  the 
river,"  Ned  said.  "We  will  push  the  boat  off,  and  it 
will  be  supposed  that  we  have  gone  off  in  it. ' ' 

This  was  soon  done,  and  having  regained  the  road, 
they  crossed  it  and  struck  over  the  fields. 

The  moon,  which  had  been  hitherto  hidden  under  a 
passing  cloud,  was  soon  out  fully,  and  for  some  time  they 
kept  across  the  country,  carefully  avoiding  all  villages. 
These  were  here  more  thinly  scattered ;  patches  of  jungle 
and  wood  occurred  more  frequently ;  and  it  was  evident 
that  they  were  getting  into  a  less  highly  cultivated  dis- 
trict. It  was  long  before  daybreak  that  Rose  declared 
that  she  was  too  fatigued  to  go  further,  and  they  entered 
&  large  wood.     Here  they  lay  down  and  were  soon  fast 


52  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

asleep.  It  was  broad  daylight  when  the  Warrenen 
woke.     Rose  still  slept  on. 

Presently  Kate  came  to  her  brothers.  "I  am  afraid 
Sose  is  going  to  be  ill.  She  keeps  talking  and  moaning 
in  her  sleep ;  her  face  is  flushed,  and  her  hands  as  hot  as 
fire." 

As  they  were  looking  sadly  at  her  she  opened  her  eyes. 

"Is  it  time  to  get  up?"  she  asked.  "Oh,  my  head!  ih 
is  aching  terribly.     Is  the  trap  at  the  door?" 

Then  she  closed  her  eyes  again  and  went  on  talking 
incoherently  to  herself. 

"She  has  fever,"  Kate  said,  "and  we  must  get  her 
under  shelter,  at  whatever  risk." 

"I  heard  a  dog  bark  not  far  off,  just  as  I  went  to 
sleep,"  Ned  said.  "I  will  go  and  reconnoiter.  Dick, 
you  had  better  stay  here. ' ' 

Dick  nodded,  and  Ned  advanced  cautiously  to  the  edge 
of  the  wood.  There  he  saw  a  farmhouse  of  a  better  clas3 
than  usual.  Three  peons  were  just  starting  for  work, 
and  an  elderly  man  with  a  long  beard  was  standing  at 
the  door.  Then  he  went  in,  and  after  a  few  minutes  re- 
appeared with  a  long  staff  in  his  hands  and  went  out  into 
the  fields.  *He  did  not,  however,  follow  the  direction 
which  the  peons  had  taken,  but  took  a  line  parallel  with 
the  edge  of  the  wood. 

"He  looks  a  decent  old  fellow,"  Ned  said  to  himself; 
"I  can  but  try;  at  any  rate,  at  the  worst  I  am  more  than 
a  match  for  him. ' ' 

So  saying,  he  stepped  out  into  the  field.  The  farmer 
started  with  surprise  at  seeing  a  young  Mussulman  ap- 
pear before  him. 

"I  am  English,"  Ned  said  at  once.  "I  think  you  are 
kind  by  your  face,  and  I  tell  you  the  truth.  There  ara 
two  English  girls  in  the  wood,  and  one  is  ill.  We  can 
go  no  further.     Will  you  give  them  shelter?" 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  53 

The  old  man  stood  for  some  time  in  thought. 

"I  have  no  complaint  against  the  Feringhees, "  he 
enid;  "in  my  father's  time  +he  country  was  red  with 
blood,  but  all  my  life  I  have  eaten  my  bread  in  peace, 
and  no  man  has  injured  me.  Where  are  the  English 
ladies?" 

Ned  led  the  way  to  the  spot  where  Rose  was  still  lying. 
The  old  man  looked  at  her  flushed  face,  and  then  at  Kate, 
and  said: 

"The  English  ladies  have  suffered  much,  and  can  have 
done  harm  to  no  one.  I  will  shelter  them.  My  wife  and 
daughter  will  nurse  the  sick  one.  They  will  be  in  the 
women's  chamber,  and  my  servants  will  not  know  that 
there  is  a  stranger  there.  I  believe  that  they  would  be 
faithful,  but  one  who  knows  nothing  can  tell  no  tales. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  wood  there  is  a  shed.  It  is 
empty  now,  and  none  go  near  it.  The  English  sahibs 
can  live  there,  and  each  day  I  will  bring  them  food. 
"When  their  sister  is  well  they  can  go  on  again. ' ' 

Ned  translated  the  old  man's  words,  and  Kate,  who 
was  kneeling  by  Rose,  caught  his  hand  and  kissed  it  in 
her  gratitude.  He  patted  her  head  and  said,  "Poor 
child!" 

"How  are  we  to  carry  Rose?  I  don't  think  she  can 
walk, ' '  Kate  asked. 

The  farmer  solved  the  difficulty  by  motioning  them  to 
stay  where  they  were.  He  then  went  off,  and  in  ten 
minutes  returned,  bearing  a  dried  bullock's  skin.  On 
this  Rose  was  laid.  The  Hindoo  took  the  two  ends  at 
her  feet,  the  boys  each  one  of  those  by  her  head,  and 
then,  slung  as  in  a  hammock,  Rose  was  carried  to  the 
house,  where  the  wife  and  daughter  of  their  host,  pre- 
pared by  him  for  what  was  coming,  received  them  with 
many  expressions  of  pity,  and  she  was  at  once  carried 


£A  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

into  the  inner  room.  The  farmer  then  placed  before  the 
boys  two  bowls  of  milk  and  some  freshly-made  chupat- 
ties,  and  then  gave  them  some  food  for  the  day.  With 
an  expression  of  fervent  gratitude  to  him,  and  a  kiss  from 
Kate,  who  came  out  to  tell  them  that  Kose  would  be  well 
nursed  and  cared  for,  the  boys  started  for  the  hut  in  the 
direction  the  Hindoo  pointed  out  to  them.  It  was  a 
small  building,  and  had  apparently  been  at  some  time 
used  as  a  cattle  shed.  The  floor  was  two  feet  deep  in 
fodder  of  the  stalks  of  Indian  corn.  Above  was  a  sort  of 
rough  loft,  in  which  grain  had  been  stored. 

The  boys  at  once  agreed  that  to  prevent  suspicion  it 
was  safer  to  occupy  this,  and  they  soon  transferred 
enough  of  the  fodder  from  below  to  make  a  comfortable 
bed.  Then,  feeling  secure  from  discovery,  even  if  by 
chance  some  passer-by  should  happen  to  glance  into  the 
shed,  they  were  soon  deep  in  a  sounder  sleep  than  they 
had  enjoyed  since  they  left  Sandynugghur. 

The  next  day  when  the  old  man  came  to  see  them  he 
was  accompanied  by  Kate.      She  looked  pale  and  wan. 

"How  is  Rose?"  was  their  first  question. 

"She  is  as  bad  as  she  can  be,  dears.  She  has  been  de- 
lirious all  night,  and  is  so  this  morning.  I  did  not  like 
to  leave  her  for  a  moment.  But  this  kind  old  man 
wanted  me  to  go  with  him,  as  I  think  he  has  something 
to  say  to  you. ' ' 

"Have  you  any  news?"  Ned  asked  him. 

"My  servants  tell  me  that  the  Sepoys  are  searching  the 
whole  country;  some  of  the  officers  have  escaped  from 
Sandynugghur,  and  also  from  Nalgwa,  where  the  troops 
rose  on  the  same  night ;  r.ome  of  the  residents  have  es- 
caped also.  There  is  a  reward  offered  for  them  alive  or 
dead,  and  any  one  hiding  them  is  to  be  punished  with 
death.     The  white  lady  is  very  ill.     She  is  in  the  hand 


JZV  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  55 

site  may  get  better,  she  may  die.  If  she  gets 
better  it  will  be  weeks  before  she  can  go  through  tha 
hardships  of  the  journey  to  Meerut.  I  think  it  better 
that  you  should  go  on  alone ;  the  white  ladies  will  be  as 
my  daughters.  I  have  told  my  servants  that  my  daugh- 
ter is  ill,  so  that  if  they  hear  cries  and  voices  at  night 
they  will  think  that  it  is  she  who  is  in  pain.  You  can. 
do  no  good  here.  If  the  woods  are  searched  you  may  he 
found;  if  you  are  found  they  will  search  everywhere 
closely,  and  may  find  them.  I  will  hide  them  here  safely. 
The  orders  are,  I  hear,  that  the  captives  taken  are  to  be 
carried  to  Delhi ;  but  if  they  should  be  found  I  will 
myself  journey  to  Meerut  to  bring  you  the  news.  You 
will  give  me  your  names,  and  I  will  find  you ;  then  you 
may  get  help  and  rescue  them  on  the  way." 

Ned  translated  the  old  man's  opinion  and  kind  offer  to 
his  brother  and  sister,  and  said  that  he  was  very  unwill- 
ing to  leave  the  girls — a  sentiment  in  which  Dick  heartily 
joined. 

Kate,  however,  at  once  expressed  her  warm  approval 
of  the  plan. 

"It  will  be  weeks,  dears,  before  Rose  can  walk  again, 
and  I  shall  have  an  anxious  time  with  her.  It  would  add 
greatly  to  my  anxiety  if  I  knew  that  you  were  near  and 
might  at  any  time  be  captured  and  killed.  If  dear  papa 
has  escaped  he  will  be  in  a  terrible  state  of  anxiety  about 
us,  and  you  could  relieve  him  if  you  can  join  him  at 
Meerut,  and  tell  him  how  kindly  we  are  treated  here. 
Altogether,  boys,  it  would  be  so  much  better  for  you  to 
go;  for  if  the  Sepoys  do  come  you  could  not  defend  us 
against  more  than  two  or  three,  and  they  are  sure  to 
come  in  a  stronger  party  than  that. " 

In  spite  of  their  disinclination  to  leave  the  girls  with- 
out such  protection  as  they  could  give  them  the  boya 


£5  -EV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

saw  that  the  course  advised  was  the  best  to  be  pursued, 
and  told  their  Hindoo  friend  that  they  agreed  to  follow 
his  counsel,  thanking  him  in  the  warmest  terms  for  his 
kindness. 

He  advised  them  to  leave  their  Mohammedan  dresses 
behind,  and  to  dress  in  the  simple  costume  of  Hindoo 
peons,  with  which  he  could  supply  them.  They  would 
then  attract  far  less  attention,  and  could  even  by  day 
pass  across  the  fields  without  any  comment  whatever  from 
the  natives  at  work  there,  who  would  naturally  suppose 
that  they  belonged  to  some  village  near  at  hand. 
"Englishmen  could  not  do  this,"  he  said;  "too  much 
leg,  too  much  arm,  too  much  width  of  shoulders;  but 
boys  are  thinner,  and  no  one  will  notice  the  difference. 
In  half  an  hour  I  will  come  back  with  the  things. ' '  Ned 
gave  him  the  rest  of  the  berries,  which  they  had  pre- 
served, and  asked  him  to  boil  them  up  in  a  little  water, 
as  they  would  now  have  to  color  their  bodies  and  arms 
and  legs,  in  addition  to  their  faces. 

It  was  a  sad  parting  between  Kate  and  her  brothers, 
for  all  felt  that  they  might  never  meet  again.  Still  the 
course  decided  upon  was,  under  the  circumstances,  evi- 
dently the  best  that  could  be  adopted. 

In  an  hour  the  Hindoo  returned.  The  boys  took  off 
their  clothes  and  stained  themselves  a  deep  brown  from 
head  to  foot.  The  farmer  then  produced  a  razor  and  a 
bowl  of  water  and  some  soap,  and  said  that  they  must 
shave  their  hair  off  their  heads,  up  to  a  level  with  the  top 
of  the  ears,  so  as  to  leave  only  that  which  could  be  con- 
cealed by  their  turban.  This,  with  some  laughter — the 
first  time  they  had  smiled  since  they  left  Sandynugghur — 
they  proceeded  to  do  to  each  other,  and  the  skin  thus 
exposed  the3^  dyed  the  same  color  as  the  rest  of  the  body. 
They  then  each  put  on  a  scanty  loin-cloth,  and  wrapping 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  g? 

a  large  piece  of  dark-blue  cotton  stuff  first  round  their 
waists  and  then  over  one  shoulder,  their  costume  was 
complete,  with  the  exception  of  a  pair  of  sandals  and  a 
white  turban.  The  old  Hindoo  surveyed  them  gravely 
when  their  attire  was  completed,  and  expressed  his  belief 
that  they  would  pass  without  exciting  the  slightest  sus- 
picion. Their  pistols  were  a  trouble.  They  were  deter- 
mined that,  come  what  might,  they  would  not  go  with- 
out these,  and  they  were  finally  slung  behind  them  from 
a  strap  passing  round  the  waist  under  the  loin-cloth ; 
the  spare  ammunition  and  a  supply  of  biscuit  were  stowed 
in  stout  cotton  bags,  with  which  their  friend  provided 
them  and  which  hung  by  a  band  passing  over  one 
shoulder.  Their  money  and  a  box  of  matches  they 
secured  in  a  corner  of  their  clothes.  A  couple  of  stout 
staves  completed  their  outfit. 

Bidding  a  grateful  farewell  to  their  friendly  Hindoo, 
the  boys  started  on  their  journey.  The  sandals  they 
found  so  difficult  to  keep  on  that  they  took  them  off  and 
carried  them,  except  when  they  were  passing  over  stony 
ground.  They  kept  to  bypaths  and  avoided  all  villages. 
Occasionally  they  met  a  native,  but  cither  they  passed 
him  without  speech  or  Ned  muttered  a  salutation  in 
answer  to  that  of  the  passer.  All  day  they  walked,  and 
far  into  the  night.  They  had  no  fear  of  missing  their 
way,  as  the  road  on  one  hand,  and  the  river  on  the  other, 
both  ran  to  Meerut ;  and  although  these  were  sometimes 
ten  miles  apart,  they  served  as  a  fair  index  as  to  the  line 
they  should  take.  The  biscuits,  eked  out  with  such 
grain  as  they  could  pluck  as  they  crossed  the  fields, 
lasted  for  two  days ;  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  it 
became  necessary  to  seek  another  supply  of  food. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  ask  for,  Dick;  and  those  niggers 
always  chatter  so  much  that  I  should  have  to  answer,  and 


£8  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

then  I  should  be  found  out  directly.  I  think  we  must 
try  some  quiet  huts  at  a  distance  from  the  road. ' '  The 
■wood  in  which  they  that  night  slept  was  near  three  cr 
four  scattered  huts.  In  the  morning  they  waited,  and 
watched  for  a  long  time  until  one  of  the  cottages  was,  as 
far  as  they  could  judge,  deserted,  all  its  inmates  being 
gone  out  to  work  in  the  fields.  They  then  entered  it 
boldly.  It  was  empty.  On  hunting  about  they  found 
some  chupatties  which  had  apparently  been  newly  baked, 
a  store  of  rice  and  of  several  other  grains.  They  took 
the  chupatties,  five  or  six  pounds  of  rice,  and  a  little 
copper  cooking  pot.  They  placed  in  a  conspicuous  posi- 
tion two  rupees,  which  were  more  than  equivalent  to  the 
value  of  the  things  they  had  taken,  and  went  on  their  way 
rejoicing. 

At  midday  they  sat  down,  lit  a  fire  with  some  dried 
Eticks  and  put  their  rice  in  the  pot  to  boil.  As  Ned  was 
stooping  to  pick  up  a  stick  he  was  startled  by  a  simulta- 
neous cry  of  "Look  out!"  from  Dick,  and  a  sharp  hiss; 
and  looking  up,  saw,  three  or  four  feet  ahead  of  him,  a 
cobra,  with  its  hood  inflated,  and  its  head  raised  in  the 
very  act  of  springing.  Just  as  it  was  darting  itself  for- 
ward, Dick's  stick  came  down  with  a  sharp  tap  on  its 
head  and  killed  it. 

"That  was  a  close  shave,  Ned,"  the  boy  said,  laugh- 
ing; "if  you  had  stooped  he  would  have  bit  you  on  the 
face.  What  would  have  been  the  best  thing  to  do  if  he 
had  bitten  you?" 

"The  best  thing  is  to  suck  the  wound  instantly,  to 
take  out  a  knife  and  cut  deeply  in,  and  then,  as  we  have 
no  vesuvians,  I  should  break  up  half  a  dozen  pistol 
cartridges,  put  the  powder  into  aad  on  the  wound  and 
set  it  alight.  I  believe  that  that  is  what  they  do  in  some 
parts  of  Eastern  Europe  in  the  case  of  the  bites  of  mad 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  59 

dogs ;  and  this,  if  no  time  is  lost  after  the  bite  is  given, 
is  almost  always  effectual  in  keeping  off  hydrophobia." 

"Well,  Ned,  I  am  very  thankful  that  we  had  not  to  put 
the  virtue  of  the  recipe  to  a  practical  test." 

"Would  you  like  to  eat  the  snake,  Dick?  I  believe  that 
snake  is  not  at  all  bad  eating." 

"Thank  you,"  Dick  said,  "I  will  take  it  on  trust. 
We  have  got  rice,  and  although  I  am  not  partial  to  rice, 
it  will  do  very  well.  If  we  could  have  got  nothing  else 
we  might  have  tried  the  snake ;  but  as  it  is,  I  had  rather 
not.  Two  more  days,  Ned,  and  we  shall  be  at  Meerut. 
The  old  Hindoo  said  it  was  a  hundred  miles,  and  we  go 
twenty-five  a  day,  even  with  all  our  bends  and  turns  to 
get  out  of  the  way  of  villages. ' ' 

"Yes,  I  should  think  we  do  quite  that,  Dick.  Wa 
walk  from  daylight  to  sunset,  and  often  two  or  three 
hours  by  moonlight;  and  though  we  don't  go  very  fast, 
we  ought  to  get  over  a  lot  of  ground.  Listen!  there  ia 
music!"  Both  held  their  breath.  "Yes,  there  are  the 
regular  beats  of  a  big  drum.  It  is  on  the  highroad,  I 
should  say,  nearly  abreast  of  us.  If  we  go  to  that  knoll 
we  shall  have  a  view  of  them,  and  there  cannot  be  the  least 
danger,  as  they  must  be  fully  a  mile  away. ' ' 

Upon  gaining  the  rise  in  question  they  saw  a  regiment 
in  scarlet  winding  along  the  road. 

"Are  they  mutineers,  Dick,  or  British?" 

It  was  more  than  anyone  could  say.  Mounted  officers 
rode  at  the  head  of  the  regiment ;  perfect  order  was  to 
be  observed  in  its  marching;  there  was  nothing  that  in 
any  way  differed  from  its  ordinary  aspect. 

"Let  us  go  back  and  get  our  rice  and  lota,  Dick.  We 
can't  afford  to  lose  that,  and  if  we  go  at  a  trot  for  a 
couple  of  miles  we  can  get  round  into  some  trees  near 
the  road  where  we  can  see  their  faces.     If  the  mounted 


eo  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

officers  are  white  it  is  all  right;  if  not  they  are  muti- 
neers. ' ' 

Half  an  hour's  trot  brought  them  to  such  a  point  of 
vantage  as  they  desired.  Crouched  in  some  bushes  at 
the  edge  of  a  clump  of  trees,  not  fifty  yards  from  the 
road,  they  waited  the  passage  of  the  regiment.  They 
had  not  been  in  their  hiding-place  five  minutes  when  the 
head  of  the  column  appeared. 

"They  march  in  very  good  order,  Ned;  do  you  think 
that  they  would  keep  up  such  discipline  as  that  after  they 
had  mutinied?" 

"I  don't  know,  Dick;  but  they'll  want  all  their  dis- 
cipline when  they  come  to  meet  our  men.  For  anything 
we  know,  we  may  be  the  two  last  white  men  left  in  India ; 
but  when  the  news  gets  to  England  there  will  be  such  a 
cry  throughout  the  land  that  if  it  needed  a  million  men 
to  win  back  the  country  I  believe  they  would  be  found 
and  sent  out.  There!  there  are  two  mounted  officers;  I 
can't  see  their  color,  but  I  don't  think  they  are  white." 

"No,  Ned;  lam  sure  they  are  not  white;  then  they 
must  be  mutineers.  Look!  look!  don't  you  see  they 
have  got  three  prisoners?  There  they  are,  marching  in 
the  middle  of  that  column ;  they  are  officers ;  and  oh ! 
Ned!  I  do  think  that  the  middle  one's  father."  And 
the  excited  boy,  with  tears  of  joy  running  down  his 
cheeks,  would  have  risen  and  dashed  out  had  not  Ned 
forcibly  detained  him. 

"Hush!  Dick!  and  keep  quiet.  Yes!  it  is  father! 
and  Dunlop  and  Manners.  Thank  God!"  he  said,  in 
deep  gratitude. 

"Well,  let's  go  to  them,  Ned;  we  may  as  well  be  all 
together." 

"Keep  quiet,  Dick, "the  elder  said,  holding  him  down 
again;  "you  will  destroy  their  chance  as  well  as  ours. 
We  must  rescue  them  if  we  can." 


nr  TIMES  OF  peril.  ei 

"How,  Ned,  how?" 

"I  don't  know  yet,  Dick;  but  we  must  wait  and  see; 
anyhow,  we  will  try.  There  goes  the  bugle  for  a  halt. 
I  expect  they  have  done  their  day's  march.  Come  on, 
Dick;  we  must  get  out  of  this.  When  they  have  once 
pitched  their  tents  they  will  scatter  about,  and,  as  likely 
as  not,  some  will  come  into  this  wood.  Let  us  get  fur- 
ther back,  so  as  to  be  able  to  see  them  pitch  their  tents, 
and  watch,  if  we  can,  where  they  put  the  prisoners. ' ' 

The  regiment  piled  arms,  and  waited  until  the  bullock- 
carts  came  up  with  the  tents.  These  were  taken  out  and 
pitched  on  the  other  side  of  the  road,  and  facing  the 
wood.  The  ground  being  marked  out  the  men  were  told 
off  to  their  quarters,  and  the  poles  of  the  tents  aligned 
with  as  much  regularity  and  exactness  as  could  have  been 
used  when  the  regiment  possessed  its  white  officers. 

Near  the  quarter-guard  tent — that  is,  the  tent  of  the 
men  engaged  upon  actual  duty — a  small  square  tent  was 
erected,  and  into  this  the  three  officers,  who  were  hand- 
cuffed, were  thrust;  and  two  sentries,  one  in  front,  the 
other  at  the  back  of  the  tent,  were  placed. 

"Now,  Dick,  we  know  all  about  it;  let  us  get  further 
away,  and  talk  over  how  it  is  to  be  managed. ' ' 

The  task  was  one  of  extreme  difficulty,  and  the  boys 
were  a  long  time  arranging  the  details.  Had  there  been 
but  one  sentry  the  matter  would  have  been  easy  enough ; 
but  with  two  sentries,  and  with  the  quarter-guard  close 
at  hand,  it  seemed  at  first  as  if  no  possible  scheme  could 
be  hit  upon.  The  sentry  at  the  back  of  the  tent  must  be 
the  one  to  be  disposed  of,  and  this  must  be  done  so 
noiselessly  as  not  to  alarm  the  man  in  front.  Each 
marched  backward  and  forward  some  eight  paces  to  the 
right,  and  as  much  to  the  left,  of  the  tent,  halting  occa- 
sionally.     When  both    marched  right    and  left   at   the 


62  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL: 

same  time  they  were  in  sight  of  each  other  except  during 
the  time  of  passing  before  and  behind  the  tent;  when 
they  walked  alternately,  the  tent  hid  them  altogether 
from  each  other. 

"I  suppose  there  is  no  chance  of  our  being  able  to  gag 
that  fellow,  Ned?  It's  horrid  to  think  of  killing  a  man 
in  cold  blood." 

"There  is  no  help  for  it,  Dick.  If  he  were  alone,  wa 
might  gag  him;  as  it  is,  he  must  be  killed.  Thesa 
scoundrels  are  all  mutineers  and  murderers.  This  regi- 
ment has,  no  doubt,  like  the  others,  killed  its  officers, 
and  all  the  men,  women,  and  children  at  the  station.  I 
would  not  kill  the  man  if  it  could  be  helped,  but  our 
father's  life  depends  upon  it,  and  to  save  him  I  would,  if 
there  were  no  other  way,  cut  the  throats  of  the  whole 
regiment  while  they  were  asleep !  This  is  no  ordinary 
war,  Dick ;  it  is  a  struggle  for  existence ;  and  though  I'm 
sure  I  hate  the  thought  of  it,  I  shall  not  hesitate  for  an 
instant. ' ' 

"I  shan't  hesitate,"  the  midshipman  said;  "but  I  wish 
the  fellow  could  make  a  fight  of  it.  However,  as  he 
would  kill  me  if  he  had  a  chance,  he  mustn't  grumble  if 
I  do  the  same  for  him.  Now,  Ned,  you  tell  me  exactly 
what  I  am  to  do,  and  you  may  rely  on  my  doing  it. " 

Every  minute  detail  of  the  scheme  was  discussed  and 
arranged;  and  then  as  the  sun  set  the  boj'S  lit  a  fire  in 
a  nullah  and  boiled  some  rice,  and  ate  their  food  with 
lighter  hearts  than  they  had  done  since  they  left  Sandy- 
nugghur,  for  the  knowledge  that  their  father  had  escaped 
death  had  lifted  a  heavy  burden  from  their  hearts.  As 
to  the  danger  of  the  expedition  that  they  were  about  to 
undertake,  with  the  happy  recklessness  of  boys  they 
thought  but  little  of  it. 

Across  the  plain  they  could  see  the  camp  fires,  brtt  az 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  63 

the  evening  went  on  these  gradually  died  away,  and  the 
sounds  which  had  come  faintly  across  the  still  night  air 
ceased  altogether.  As  patiently  as  might  be,  they  waited 
until  they  guessed  that  it  must  be  about  ten  o'clock. 
The  night  was,  for  the  country,  cold — a  favorable  cir- 
cumstance, as  the  natives,  who  are  very  chilly,  would  be 
less  likely  to  leave  their  tents  if  they  felt  restless.  The 
moon  was  now  half  full  and  shining  brightly,  giving  a 
light  with  which  the  boys  could  well  have  dispensed. 

"Now,  Dick,  old  boy,  let's  be  moving.  May  God  help 
us  in  our  night's  work?" 

They  made  a  considerable  detour  to  approach  the 
camp  in  the  rear,  where  they  rightly  judged  that  the 
Sepoys,  having  no  fear  whatever  of  any  hostile  body  be- 
ing near,  would  have  placed  no  sentries. 

"Listen!"  Dick  said,  as  they  were  pausing  to  recon- 
noiter;  "that  sounded  like  a  cannon  in  the  far  distance. " 

There  was  no  doubt  of  it;  faintly,  but  quite  distinct, 
across  the  air  came  the  sound  of  heavy  cannon,  fired  at 
regular  intervals. 

I  "Those  cannon  must  be  fired  as  a  salute  to  some  great 
chief  newly  arrived  at  Delhi;  we  should  not  fire  so  late, 
but  I  suppose  they  are  not  particular,"  Ned  said;  "we 
calculated  it  was  not  more  than  twenty -five  miles  off,  and 
we  should  hear  them  at  that  distance  easily.  We  had 
better  wait  a  few  minutes  to  see  if  anyone  comes  out  to 
listen  to  it." 

But  there  was  no  movement  among  the  white  tents. 
Then  they  stole  quietly  into  the  camp. 

The  tents  of  the  Indian  native  regiments  are  large, 
oblong  tents,  with  two  poles,  holding  thirty  men  each. 
They  are  manufactured  at  the  government  prison  at  Jub- 
balpore,  and  are  made  of  thick  cotton  canvas,  lined  with 
red  or  blue  cotton.     In  the  daytime    they  open  right 


C4  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

along  one  side,  the  wall  of  the  tent  being  propped  out- 
ward with  two  slight  poles,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of 
veranda,  and  shade  the  inside  of  the  tent  while  admitting 
the  air.  At  night-time,  in  the  cool  season,  this  flap  i3 
let  down,  and  the  tent  closed.  In  front  of  the  tents  the 
muskets  of  the  men  inside  are  piled. 

Into  one  of  these  tents  Dick  crawled,  Ned  watching 
outside.  When  Dick  first  entered  it  was  so  dark  that  he 
could  see  nothing ;  but  the  moonlight  penetrated  dimly 
through  the  double  cotton,  and  he  was  soon  able  to  dis- 
cover objects  around.  The  ground  was  all  occupied  by 
sleeping  figures,  each  wrapped  up  from  head  to  foot  in 
his  blanket,  looking  like  so  many  mummies.  Their  uni- 
forms were  folded,  and  placed  between  their  heads  and 
the  wall  of  the  tent.  Six  of  these,  with  the  same  number 
of  caps,  and  six  ammunition  pouches  and  belts,  and  a 
uniform  cloak,  taken  carefully  off  one  of  the  sleepers, 
Dick  collected  and  passed  out  through  the  door  of  the 
tent  to  Ned.  Not  a  sleeper  stirred  while  he  did  so ;  and 
he  crept  quietly  out,  with  the  first  part  of  his  task  ac- 
complished. Gathering  the  things  together  the  boy3 
made  all  speed  back  to  a  clump  of  trees — half  a  mile  in 
the  rear  of  the  camp.  Here  Ned  put  on  one  of  the  uni- 
forms and  the  cloak,  and  they  then  started  back  again 
for  the  camp. 

The  sentries  upon  the  prisoners'  tent  were  changed  ab 
twelve  o'clock;  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  sentry  at  the 
rear  of  the  tent  saw  one  of  his  comrades  come  out  of  one 
of  the  large  tents  close  to  the  end  of  his  beat.  He  was 
wrapped  in  his  blanket  and  his  face  was  tied  up  with  a 
cloth;  coughing  violently,  he  squatted  himself  in  front 
of  his  tent  and  rocked  himself  to  and  fro,  with  his  hands 
to  his  face,  uttering  occasional  groans.  This  was  all 
so  natural — for  the  natives  of  India  suffer    much  from 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  6t> 

neuralgia  in  the  cold  weather — that  the  sentry  thought 
nothing  of  the  matter.  He  continued  to  pace  his  beat, 
turning  back  each  time  when  within  a  yard  or  two  of  the 
sufferer.  The  third  time  he  did  so  the  figure  dropped 
off  his  blanket,  and  with  a  sudden  bound  threw  himself 
on  the  sentry's  back;  at  the  same  moment  a  Sepoy  in 
uniform  darted  out  from  the  tent.  One  hand  of  the 
assailant — in  which  was  a  damp  cloth — was  pressed 
tightly  over  the  mouth  and  nostrils  of  the  sentry ;  the 
other  grasped  the  lock  of  his  musket,  so  that  it  could  not 
be  discharged.  Thrown  backward  off  his  bal  n?e,  taken 
utterly  by  surprise,  the  sentry  was  unable  even  to  strug- 
gle, and  in  an  instant  the  second  antagonist  plunged  a 
bayonet  twice  into  his  body,  and  he  fell  a  lifeless  mass 
on  the  ground.  It  was  the  work  of  an  instant  to  drag 
the  body  a  yard  or  two  into  the  shadow  of  the  tent,  and 
before  the  other  sentry  appeared  from  the  opposite  side 
of  the  prisoners'  tent  the  native  was  rocking  himself  as 
before ;  the  sentry,  wrapped  in  his  cloak,  was  marching 
clamly  on  his  beat.  The  whole  affair  had  lasted  but 
twenty  seconds,  and  had  passed  as  noiselessly  as  a  dream. 

The  next  time  the  sentry  in  front  was  hidden  from 
view  the  native  started  from  his  sitting  position  and  stole 
up  behind  the  tent.  Cautiously  and  quietly  he  cut  a 
slit  in  the  canvas  and  entered.  Then  he  knelt  down  by 
the  side  of  one  of  the  sleepers  and  kissed  him.  He 
moved  in  his  sleep,  and  his  disturber,  putting  his  hand 
on  his  mouth  to  prevent  sudden  speech,  shook  him 
gently.     The  major  opened  his  eyes. 

"Father,  it  is  I — Eichard;  hush!  do  not  speak." 

Then,  as  the  bewildered  man  gradually  understood 
what  was  said,  his  son  fell  on  his  neck,  kissing  him  with 
passionate  delight. 

After  the  first  rapturous  joy  of  the  recognition  was 
over,  "Ned  and  the  girls?"  Major  Warrener  asked. 


63  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"The  girls  are  at  present  safe,"  Dick  said;  "Ned  is 
outside  behind.  He  is  the  sentry.  Now,  father,  waka 
the  others,  and  then  let  us  steal  off.  Take  off  your 
boots;  the  men's  tents  are  only  ten  yards  behind;  once 
there  you  are  safe.  I  will  let  Ned  know  when  you  are 
ready,  and  he  will  occupy  the  sentry.  We  can't  silence 
him,  because  he  is  within  sight  of  the  sentry  of  the 
quarter-guard. " 

Major  Warrener  aroused  his  sleeping  companions,  and 
in  a  few  whispered  words  told  them  what  had  happened. 
In  silence  they  wrung  Dick's  hand,  and  then  taking  off 
their  boots,  stole  one  by  one  out  of  the  tent.  As  Ned 
passed  he  exchanged  a  silent  embrace  with  his  father. 
The  next  time  the  sentry  in  front  was  passing  before  tb.9 
tent,  a  heavy  stone,  hurled  by  Ned,  crashed  into  a  bush 
upon  the  other  side  of  the  road.  The  sentry  halted  in- 
stantly, and,  with  gun  advanced,  listened,  but  he  could 
hear  nothing,  for  his  comrade  was  at  that  instant  seized 
with  a  fit  of  coughing. 

After  standing  in  a  listening  attitude  for  three  or  four 
minutes,  the  Sepoy  supposed  that  the  noise  must  have 
been  caused  by  some  large  bird  suddenly  disturbed  in 
the  foliage. 

"Did  you  hear  anything?"  he  asked  Ned,  as  their 
path  crossed. 

"Nothing,"  Ned  answered,  continuing  his  march. 

For  another  quarter  of  an  hour  he  passed  backward 
and  forward,  his  only  fear  being  that  the  sentry  might 
take  it  into  his  head  to  open  the  tent  and  look  in  to  see 
if  the  prisoners  were  safe.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he 
knew  that  the  fugitives  would  have  gained  the  trees,  and 
would  have  time  to  put  on  the  Sepoy  uniforms  before  he 
reached  them ;  and  also  by  the  aid  of  a  couple  of  large 
stones,  have  got  rid  of  their  handcuffs.  He  might  there- 
fore be  off  to  join  them. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  67 

"Waiting  till  the  sentry  was  at  the  other  end  of  his  beat 
lie  slipped  round  the  tent,  stripped  off  his  cloak,  lay 
down  his  musket  and  belt — for  Dick  had  arranged  that 
they  should  carry  off  five  muskets  in  their  retreat — threw 
off  the  Sepoy  jacket,  and,  in  light  running  order,  darted 
through  the  tents.  He  calculated  that  he  should  have  at 
least  a  couple  of  minutes'  start  before  his  absence  was 
discovered,  another  minute  or  two  before  the  sentry  was 
sufficiently  sure  of  it  to  hail  the  quarter-guard  and  report 
the  circumstance.  Then  would  follow  the  discovery  of 
the  escape  of  the  prisoners ;  but  by  that  time  he  would 
be  far  out  on  the  plain,  and  even  if  seen,  which  was  un- 
likely, he  was  confident  that  he  could  outrun  any  native. 

His  anticipations  turned  out  correct;  he  was  already 
some  distance  off  when  he  heard  the  call  of  the  sentry  to 
the  quarter-guard,  followed  almost  immediately  by  a  still 
louder  shout,  that  told  that  he  had  discovered  the  flight 
of  the  prisoners ;  then  came  the  sound  of  a  musket  shot, 
a  drum  beat  the  alarm,  and  a  babel  of  sound  rang  on  the 
still  air.  But  by  this  time  Ned  was  half-way  to  the 
clump  of  trees,  and  three  minutes  later  he  was  in  his 
father's  arms  There  was  no  time  to  talk  then.  Another 
coat  was  hurried  on  to  him,  an  ammunition  belt  and 
pouch  thrown  over  his  shoulder,  and  Captain  Manners 
carrying  his  musket  until  he  should  have  quite  recovered 
breath,  the  five  went  off  at  a  steady  trot,  which  after  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  broke  into  a  walk — for  there  was  no 
fear  of  pursuit — in  the  direction  in  which  they  knew 
Delhi  to  lie. 


£3  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BACK    TJNDEB    THE    FLAG. 

"How  far  is  it  to  Delhi?  "We  heard  the  guns  there  jusS 
now." 

"Not  thirty  miles." 

"Have  you  heard  how  things  are  going  on  there?" 
Dick  asked. 

"According  to  the  Sepoy  reports,  fresh  regiments  ara 
pouring  in  from  all  quarters ;  and  they  boast  that  they 
are  going  to  drive  us  out  of  the  country.  Our  troops 
are  still  at  Meerut,  and  a  force  is  gathering  at  Umballah ; 
"but  they  are  after  all  a  mere  handful. ' ' 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  of  help   coming  to 

113?" 

"None  for  the  present.  The  Sepoys  say  that  every 
station  has  gone  down  except  Agra,  Allahabad,  and 
Benares,  and  that  these  are  soon  to  go,  too.  Cawnpora 
and  Lucknow  have  risen." 

"Are  all  the  whites  killed  everywhere?" 

"I  am  afraid  they  are  all  killed  where  there  are  no 
white  troops;  but  there  we  must  hope  that  they  are 
making  a  stand.  We  shall  be  a  long  time  before  we 
.know  anything.  It  is  but  a  week  yet  since  our  station 
went ;  seven  days  longer  since  Delhi  rose. ' ' 

"It  seems  ages  ago,"  Ned  said.  "You  don't  mean  to 
try  and  get  to  Meerut  to-night,  I  hope ;  we  could  walk  as 
far  if  it  were  absolutely  necessary,  but  we  have  done  a 
long  day's  walk  already." 

"No,  no,  Ned.     I  only  want  to  get  well  away  from  our 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  69 

late  camp.  To-morrow  we  will  get  near  the  river,  hide 
all  next  day,  and  cross  after  nightfall.  There  is  a  clump 
of  trees ;  we  will  pass  the  night  there ;  I  think  we  are 
safe  enough  now.  The  mutineers  are  too  anxious  to  be 
at  Delhi  to  spend  much  time  in  looking  for  us.  Now, 
first  of  all,  let  us  get  a  fire. ' ' 

"We  have  never  had  a  fire  at  night,"  Dick  said,  "since 
we  started;  we  have  been  too  much  afraid  of  being  seen." 

"There  is  not  much  chance  of  its  being  observed  in  a 
wood;  especially  if  the  bushes  are  thick.  "We  are  four 
miles  at  least  from  the  camp,  and  we  are  all  wet  through 
with  dew.     Now  for  sticks. ' ' 

The  whole  party  soon  collected  a  pile  of  sticks,  and 
the  major  was  about  to  scatter  some  powder  among  the 
dead  leaves,  when  Ned  said:  "We have  matches,  father," 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  Ned,  There  we  are,  fairly 
alight.  Yes,  we  have  chosen  the  place  well;  there  are 
bushes  all  around.  Now,"  he  said,  when  the  fire  had 
burned  up  brightly,  "let  us  hear  the  full  story  of  what 
has  passed ;  you  gave  us  a  short  account  when  we  first 
got  free.     Now  let  us  hear  all  about  it. ' ' 

Ned  and  Dick  told  the  story — sometimes  one  taking  it 
up,  sometimes  the  other.  There  were  many  questions 
from  their  auditors,  and  expressions  of  warm  approval 
of  their  conduct ;  and  Captain  Dunlop  threatened  under 
his  breath  that  if  he  ever  had  a  chance  he  would  not  leave 
one  cake  of  mud  upon  another  in  the  village  where  Kate 
was  wounded.  He  and  Captan  Manners  proposed  that 
they  should  go  back  and  afford  what  protection  they 
could  to  the  girls.  But  Major  Warrener  at  once  negatived 
this  idea. 

"If  they  would  come  straight  back  with  us  I  should 
say  yes,"  he  said,  "for  with  us  five  we  might  hope  to  get 
them  through  safely ;  but  even  that  would  be  very  risky. 


70  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

for  the  larger  the  party  is  the  more  easily  it  attracts 
attention,  and  the  whole  country  is  alive  with  rebels 
marching  to  Delhi.  But  as  Kose  cannot  be  fit  to  travel 
for  weeks,  we  have  no  choice  in  the  matter.  They  must 
remain  where  they  are,  and  we  can  only  hope  and  pray 
for  their  safety.  Our  duty  lies  clearly  at  Meerut,  where 
every  man  who  can  sight  a  rifle  will  be  wanted  most 
urgently.  Now  let  us  be  off  to  sleep ;  the  fire  has  burned 
low,  and  in  another  hour  or  two  it  will  be  daybreak ; 
however,  there  will  be  no  reveille,  and  we  can  sleep  on 
with  lighter  hearts  than  we  have  had  for  some  time. " 

"What  figures  you  are  in  those  uniforms!"  Dick  said, 
laughing,  next  morning;  "you  can  scarcely  move  in 
them,  and  they  won't  meet  by  eight  or  nine  inches.  It 
does  not  seem  to  me  that  they  are  any  disguise  at  all. 
Any  one  could  see  in  a  moment  that  they  were  not  made 
for  you." 

"They  are  wretchedly  uncomfortable,  Dick,"  his  father 
said;  "and,  as  you  say,  any  one  could  see  they  were  not 
made  for  us.  But  they  are  useful.  As  we  go  along  any 
one  who  saw  us  at  a  distance  would  take  us  for  a  strag- 
gling party  of  mutineers,  making  our  way  to  Delhi ; 
while  the  bright  scarlet  of  our  own  uniform  would  have 
told  its  tale  miles  off." 

"I  shall  be  glad  enough  to  get  rid  of  mine,  Dick;  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  got  into  a  boy's  jacket  by  mistake.  Jack 
Sepoy  has  no  shoulders  to  speak  of ;  as  far  as  height  goes 
he  is  well  enough ;  but  thirty  Sepoys  on  parade  take  up 
no  more  room  than  twenty  English.  I  had  to  take  my 
jacket  off  last  night  and  lay  it  over  my  shoulders;  I 
might  as  well  have  tried  to  go  to  sleep  in  a  vise.  There! 
major;  do  you  hear  the  music?  These  rascals  are  on  the 
march  again. ' ' 

The  strains  of  music  came  very  faintly  to  the  ear,  for 
the  bivouac  was  nearly  a  mile  from  the  road. 


yt  "  m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ft 

•  "That  is  all  right,"  the  major  said.  "Now  they  have 
gone  by,  we  can  be  moving.  We  must  give  them  an 
hour's  start." 

"Now,  father,  we  have  not  heard  your  adventures  yet; 
please  tell  us  all  about  them." 

"Well,  we  have  not  had  so  much  variety  as  you,  but 
we  have  gone  through  a  good  deal.  You  know  we  had 
talked  over  the  best  possible  course  to  take  in  case  of  an 
attack,  come  when  it  might.  We  had  arranged  what 
each  should  do  in  case  of  a  night  attack,  or  of  a  rising 
upon  parade ;  and  we  had  even  considered  the  probabil- 
ity of  being  set  upon  when  gathered  in  the  messroom. 
We  had  all  agreed  that  if  taken  by  surprise  resistance 
would  mean  certain  death;  they  would  shoot  us  down 
through  the  doors  and  windows,  and  we  should  be  like 
rats  in  a  cage.  We  agreed,  therefore,  that  in  case  of 
an  attack  a  simultaneous  attempt  to  break  out  must  be 
made,  and  we  had  even  settled  upon  the  window  by 
which  we  should  go.  The  married  men  were,  of  course, 
to  make  for  their  bungalows,  except  where,  as  in  my 
case,  I  had  made  other  arrangements ;  and  the  rest  to 
various  bungalows  agreed  upon,  where  traps  were  to  be 
in  readiness.  Dunlop,  Manners,  and  myself  had  agreed 
to  make  for  Dunlop 's>  as  it  was  the  nearest,  and  his  trap 
was  to  be  ready  that  evening. 

•  "There  were  not  many  who  believed  in  a  mutiny  that 
night.  The  villains,  only  in  the  morning  having  sworn  to 
be  faithful,  deceived  most  of  us,  for  it  was  very  hard  to 
believe  they  could  be  capable  of  such  diabolical  treachery. 
Swords  and  pistols  were,  of  course,  taken  off,  but  instead 
of  being  left  in  the  anteroom,  were  brought  into  the 
messroom.  Some  fellows  put  theirs  in  a  corner,  others 
against  the  wall  behind  them.  I  was  sitting  between 
Punlop  and  Manners,  and  we  were,  as  it  happened,  at 


f%  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL, 

the  corner  nearest  the  window  fixed  upon  for  the  bolt. 
Things  went  on  all  right  till  dinner  was  over.  There 
was  an  insolent  look  about  some  of  the  servants'  faces  I 
did  not  like,  but  nothing  to  take  hold  of.  I  pointed  it 
out  to  Dunlop,  and  we  agreed  that  the  plan  arranged  was 
the  best  possible ;  and  that,  as  resistance  would  be  of  no 
use,  if  at  each  of  the  eight  large  windows  and  the  two 
doors  a  stream  of  musketry  fire  were  being  poured  in,  we 
would  make  a  rush  straight  for  the  window.  Presently 
the  colonel  rose  and  gave  'The  Queen.'  We  all  rose,  and 
as  if — as  I  have  no  doubt  it  was — the  toast  was  the  signal, 
there  was  a  sudden  trampling  in  the  veranda  outside,  and 
at  every  window  appeared  a  crowd  of  Sepoys,  with  their 
arms  in  their  hands.  I  shouted,  'To  the  window  for 
your  lives!'  and  without  stopping  to  get  my  sword  I 
dashed  at  the  Sepoys  who  were  there.  Dunlop  and  Man- 
ners were  with  me,  and  before  the  scoundrels  had  time 
to  get  their  guns  to  their  shoulders  we  were  upon  them. 
"We  are  all  big  men,  and  our  weight  and  impetus,  and 
the  surprise,  were  too  much  for  them ;  we  burst  through 
them,  standing  as  they  did  four  or  five  deep,  as  if  they 
had  been  reeds.  They  gave  a  yell  of  rage  and  astonish- 
ment as  they  went  down  like  ninepins ;  but  we  scarcely 
saw  it,  for  as  we  went  through  them  the  musketry  fire 
broke  out  round  the  messroom. 

"Whether  any  of  the  others  tried  to  follow  us  we  don't 
know.  I  think  most  of  them  forgot  their  arrangement 
and  rushed  to  their  arms :  certainly  some  of  them  did  so, 
for  we  heard  the  crack  of  revolvers  between  the  rifle 
shots.  We  made  straight  across  the  parade  for  Dunlop 's 
bungalow,  with  musket  balls  flying  in  all  directions,  as 
soon  as  the  fellows  we  had  gone  through  recovered  from 
their  first  astonishment ;  but  they  are  not  good  shots  at 
the  best,  and  a  man  running  at  his  top  speed  is  not  ail 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  *fo 

easy  mark  by  moonlight.  We  heard  yells  and  musket 
shots  all  round,  and  knew  that  while  a  part  of  the  regi- 
ment was  attacking  us  parties  were  told  off  to  each 
bunaglow.  By  the  time  we  had  got  over  the  few  hun- 
dred yards  to  Dunlop 's  the  whistling  of  the  bullets 
round  us  had  pretty  well  ceased,  for  the  fellows  had  all 
emptied  their  muskets;  besides,  we  were  nearly  out  of 
range.  None  of  them  were  near  us,  for  they  had  stopped 
in  their  run  to  fire ;  they  were  too  much  interested  in  the 
massacre  going  on  inside,  and  we  seemed  pretty  safe; 
when  just  as  I  entered  the  gate  of  the  compound  a  stray 
bullet  hit  me  on  the  head,  and  down  I  went  like  a  log, 
"Happily,  the  syce  had  proved  faithful;  he  had  been 
with  Dunlop  ever  since  he  joined  the  regiment,  and  Dun- 
lop  once  risked  his  life  to  save  him  from  a  tiger.  There 
was  the  syce  with  the  trap.  He  had  not  dared  bring  it 
out  till  the  first  shot  was  fired,  lest  his  fellow-servants, 
who  were  all  traitors,  should  stop  it ;  but  the  instant  it 
began,  he  came  round.  They  ran  the  horse  up  to  where 
I  was  lying,  lifted  me  in  and  jumped  in,  and  drove  out 
of  the  gate  as  a  score  of  fellows  from  the  messhouse  came 
making  toward  the  bungalow.  We  had  fifty  yards'  start, 
but  they  fired  away  at  us,  a  ball  passing  through  the  syce's 
leg  as  he  scrambled  up  behind.  The  horse  went  along 
at  a  gallop ;  but  we  were  not  safe,  for  parties  were  carry- 
ing on  their  hellish  work  in  every  bungalow.  Dunlop 
and  Manners  were  maddened  by  the  screams  they  heard; 
and  if  it  had  not  been  for  having  me  under  their  charge, 
and  by  the  thoughts  of  the  girls,  I  believe  they  would 
have  jumped  out  and  died  fighting.  A  few  of  the  black 
devils,  hearing  wheels,  ran  out  and  fired ;  but  we  kept  on 
at  a  full  gallop  till  we  were  well  out  of  the  place.  A 
mile  further  Dunlop  found  the  horse  begin  to  slacken  hia 
speed,  and  to  go  very  leisurely.     He  jumped  out  to  sea 


?£  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

what  was  the  matter,  and  found,  as  he  expected,  that  the 
horse  had  been  hit.  He  had  one  bullet  in  the  neck, 
another  in  the  side.  It  was  evident  that  it  could  not  go 
much  further.  They  lifted  me  out  and  carried  me  to  a 
patch  of  bushes  thirty  yards  from  the  road.  The  scye 
was  told  to  drive  on  quietly  till  the  horse  dropped. 
Dunlop  gave  him  money  and  told  him  to  meet  us  at 
Meerut. " 

"Why  did  you  not  keep  him  with  you?  he  would 
have  been  very  useful?"  Dick  asked. 

"You  see  I  wanted  to  get  the  trap  as  far  away  as  possi- 
ble before  the  horse  fell,"  Captain  Dunlop  said.  "We 
did  not  know  how  severely  wounded  the  major  was;  in- 
deed, we  both  feared  he  was  killed ;  but  the  mutineers, 
when  they  found  ^the  dead  horse  in  the  morning,  were 
certain  to  make  a  search  in  its  neighborhood,  and  would 
have  found  your  father  had  he  been  close  by  laid  up  with 
a  wound. ' ' 

"Happily  I  now  began  to  come  to,"  the  major  went 
on,  continuing  his  story.  "The  ball  was  nearly  spent, 
and  had  given  me  a  nasty  scalp-wound,  and  had  stunned 
me,  but  I  now  began  to  come  round.  The  instant  I  was 
able  to  understand  where  I  was  or  what  had  happened, 
Dunlop  and  Manners,  who  were  half-wild  with  excite- 
ment and  grief,  made  me  promise  to  lie  quiet  while  they 
went  back  to  see  what  had  become  of  you  all.  Of  course 
I  consented.  They  were  away  about  three  hours,  for 
they  had  to  make  a  circle  of  the  cantonments,  as  our 
bungalow  was  quite  at  the  other  end.  They  brought 
cheering  news.  They  had  first  been  to  the  house,  and 
found  it  utterly  destroyed,  as  they  expected.  That  told 
them  nothing;  for  if  you  had  been  killed  your  bodies 
would  probably  have  been  burned  with  the  house.  Then 
they  went  out  to  the  tope  of  trees  where  it  was  agreed 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ?5 

that  you  should,  if  possible,  first  fly.  Here  they  found  a 
pocket-handkerchief  of  Rose's;  and  going  round  to  the 
other  side  found  by  the  marks  upon  the  soil  that  four  of 
you  had  started  together.  With  hearts  immensely  light- 
ened by  the  discovery  that  you  had,  at  any  rate,  all 
escaped  from  the  first  massacre,  they  hurried  back  to 
gladden  me  with  the  news.  I  was  past  understanding  it 
when  they  arrived,  for  the  intense  pain  in  my  head  and 
my  terrible  anxiety  about  you  had  made  me  delirious. 
It  would  have  been  certain  death  to  stay  so  near  the 
road,  so  they  dipped  their  handkerchiefs  in  water  and 
tied  them  round  my  head,  and  then  supporting  me,  one 
on  each,  side,  they  half-dragged  half-carried  me  to  a 
deserted  and  half  ruinous  cottage  about  a  mile  away. 

"Next  day  I  was  still  feverish,  but  fortunately  no  one 
came  near  us.  Dunlop  and  Manners  went  out  at  night 
and  got  a  few  bananas.  Next  morning  our  regiment 
marched  away,  and  Dunlop  then  appealed  to  an  old  cot- 
tager for  shelter  and  food  for  us  all.  He  at  once  prom- 
ised to  aid  us  and  I  was  removed  to  his  cottage,  where 
everything  in  his  power  was  done  for  me.  I  was  now 
convalescent,  and  a  day  later  we  were  talking  of  making 
a  move  forward.  That  night,  however,  the  cottage  was 
surrounded  whether  the  peasant  himself  or  some  one  else 
betrayed  us  we  shall  never  know — but  the  men  that  we 
saw  there  belonged  to  a  regiment  of  mutineers  that  had 
marched  in  that  afternoon  from  Dollah.  We  saw  at  once 
that  resistance  was  useless,  and  we  were,  moreover,  with- 
out arms.  Had  we  had  them,  I  have  no  doubt  we  should 
have  fought  and  been  killed.  As  it  was,  we  were  bound 
and  marched  into  the  camp  at  Sandynugghur.  It  waa 
resolved  to  take  us  in  triumph  into  Delhi,  and  we  were 
marched  along  with  the  regiment  till-  you  saw  us.  We 
Jiad  talked  over  every  conceivable  plan  of  escape,  and 


)J'8  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

had  determined  that  we  would  try  to-night,  which  will 
be  the  last  halt  before  they  get  to  Delhi.  It  is  very  un- 
likely that  we  should  have  succeeded,  but  it  was  better  to 
be  shot  down  than  to  be  taken  to  Delhi  and  given  over 
to  the  mob  to  torture  before  they  killed  us.  I  am  con- 
vinced we  had  no  chance  of  really  getting  off,  and  that 
you  have  saved  our  lives,  just  as  Dunlop  and  Manners 
saved  mine,  at  the  risk  of  their  own,  on  that  first  night  of 
our  flight.     And  now  let  us  be  on  the  march." 

They  had  not  gone  far  before  the  three  officers  found 
that  it  was  impossible  to  walk  in  their  Sepoy  jackets. 
They  accordingly  took  them  off  and  slung  them  from 
their  muskets.  Ned  and  Dick  were  fairly  fitted.  They 
halted  for  the  night  near  the  river,  about  ten  miles  above 
Delhi.  In  the  morning  they  were  off  early.  By  nine 
o'clock  they  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  five  miles 
higher  up. 

The  river  is  wide,  or  rather  the  bed  of  the  river  is 
wide — half  a  mile  at  least ;  this  in  the  rainy  season  is  full 
to  the  brim,  but  at  other  times  the  stream  is  not  more 
than  half  that  width.  After  crossing  the  river  they 
would  have  fifteen  miles  still  to  traverse  to  arrive  at 
Meerut,  and  it  was  probable  that  the  whole  intervening 
country  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Sepoys. 

"Had  we  not  better  keep  this  side  of  the  river  for  a 
bit,  father?"  Ned  asked. 

"No,  my  boy;  we  will  cross  here  after  dark  and  make 
straight  for  Meerut.  If  we  can't  find  a  boat  we  will 
each  cut  a  large  bundle  of  rushes  to  act  as  a  life-buoy 
and  carry  your  guns  and  ammunition  and  so  swim  across 
after  it  is  dark. ' ' 

"Well,  major,  as  the  sun  is  getting  awfully  hot  I  vote 
we  get  into  the  shade  of  those  stunted  trees  and  have  a 
nap  till  the  afternoon.  It  won't  do  to  begin  even  to 
make  the  raft  till  the  sun  is  down." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ?7 

Captain  Dunlop's  proposition  was  carried  into  effect; 
but  it  is  questionable  whether  any  of  the  party  slept 
much,  for  they  were  excited  by  the  thought  that  in  a 
few  hours  they  would  be  with  friends,  once  more  soldiers 
instead  of  fugitives,  with  power  to  fight  in  defence  of 
their  sovereign's  dominions  and  of  the  helpless  women 
and  children  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  atrocious  muti- 
neers. "With  these  thoughts  mingled  the  anxiety  which 
was  wearing  them  all,  although  each  refrained  from  talk- 
ing about  it,  as  to  the  safety  of  the  girls,  whose  lives 
were  dependent  upon  the  fidelity  of  a  native  and  his 
servants. 

Over  and  over  again  since  they  met  the  boys  had  they 
regretted  that  they  had  not  gone  back  to  watch  over 
them ;  but  the  fact  that  Rose  might  be  weeks  before  she 
was  able  to  stand,  and  that,  as  their  protector  had  said, 
the  presence  of  Europeans  near  them  might  be  detected, 
and  would  be  a  source  of  constant  danger,  convinced 
them  that  they  had  taken  the  proper  course.  They 
knew,  too,  that  in  acting  as  they  had  done  they  were 
performing  their  duty,  and  that  at  a  moment  when  the 
fate  of  British  India  trembled  in  the  balance,  the  place 
of  every  soldier  was  by  the  side  of  the  British  troops  who 
still  maintained  the  old  flag  flying  in  the  face  of  increas- 
ing numbers  of  the  enemy.  Still,  although  they  knew 
that  they  were  doing  their  duty,  and  were,  moreover, 
taking  the  wisest  course,  the  thoughts  of  the  girls  alone 
in  the  midst  of  danger,  with  one  of  them  down  with 
fever,  tried  them  terribly,  and  they  longed  with  a  fierce 
desire  for  the  excitement  of  work  and  of  danger  to  keep 
them  from  thinking  of  it. 

"Here,  boys,  is  a  head  of  Indian  corn  apiece;  eat  that* 
and  then  get  to  work. ' ' 

The  frugal  meal  was  soon  over,  and  they  then  set  to 


?g  IN  TIMES.  OF  PERIL. 

work,  cutting  down,  breaking  off,  and  tearing  up  large 
reeds  with  which  to  make  floats.  The  boys  had  knives, 
but  the  others  had  been  stripped  of  everything  they  had 
at  the  time  of  their  capture.  In  about  an  hour,  how- 
ever, five  bundles  were  made,  each  some  six  feet  long,  and 
nearly  three  feet  thick.  The  muskets  and  ammunition 
pouches  were  fastened  on  these,  and  soon  after  it  was 
quite  dark  they  entered  the  water. 

"There  are  no  crocodiles,  I  hope,"  Dick  whispered  to 
Ned. 

"Nothing  to  fear  in  these  large  rivers;  the  chances  of 
meeting  one  are  very  small. 

"All  right,"  Dick  said.  "Of  course  we've  got  to  risk 
it.  But  they're  as  bad  as  sharks  ;  and  sharks,  as  the 
Yankees  said,  is  pisin.     Well,  here  goes." 

"When  the  bundles  were  placed  in  the  water  they  were 
lashed  side  by  side  with  long  trailing  creepers  which 
grew  abundantly  among  the  rushes,  and  they  were  thus 
secured  from  the  risk  of  turning  over  from  the  weights 
on  the  top.  Upon  the  raft  thus  formed  their  clothea 
were  placed  and  then,  side  by  side,  pushing  it  before 
them,  the  party  shoved  off  from  shore.  In  twenty  min- 
utes they  touched  ground  on  the  other  side.  They 
dressed,  examined  their  muskets  to  see  if  they  were  in 
good  order,  and  then  started  in  the  direction  in  which 
they  knew  Meerut  to  be.  Several  times  they  paused  and 
listened,  for  they  could  occasionally  hear  the  noise  of 
galloping  men,  and  it  was  evident  that  there  were  troopa 
of  some  kind  or  other  moving  about. 

They  walked  for  some  hours,  until  they  thought  that 
they  could  not  be  far  from  their  destination,  and  had 
begun  to  congratulate  themselves  upon  being  near  their 
friends,  when  the  sound  of  a  strong  body  of  men  was 
heard  sweeping  along  the  level  plain  across  which  the./ 
were  now  passing. 


f  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  flgj 

ffThere  is  a  small  "building  ahead,"  the  major  said 5 
"run  for  that;  they  are  coming  across  here." 

They  were  seen,  for  a  shout  of  "Who  goes  there?"  in 
Eindoostani  was  heard. 

"Give  me  your  musket,  Dick,"  Captain  Dunlop  ex- 
claimed. For  the  lad,  with  the  weight  of  his  musket 
and  ammunition,  could  hardly  keep  up  with  the  others. 

Just  in  time  they  reached  the  building  in  front  of 
them,  rushed  in  and  closed  the  door,  as  the  cavalry  swept 
up.  It  was  a  small  temple ;  a  building  of  massive  con- 
struction, with  one  little  window  about  six  inches  square, 
and  on  the  same  side  a  strong  door. 

"Pile  up  everything  against  the  door, "  the  major  cried. 
"Dunlop,  fire  at  once  at  them.  Our  only  chance  is  to 
hold  out  with  the  hope  that  we  may  be  heard,  and  that 
some  of  our  fellows  may  come  to  the  rescue." 

Captain  Dunlop  fired  just  as  the  troopers  dashed  up  to 
the  door. 

"Now,  Manners,  steady,  pick  off  your  man,"  the  major 
said,  as,  aided  by  the  boys,  he  jammed  a  beam  of  wood 
between  the  door  and  the  wall,  at  such  an  angle  that, 
except  by  breaking  it  to  pieces,  the  door  could  not  be 
forced. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "it's  my  turn;"  and  he  fired  into  the 
enraged  enemy.  "Now,  Ned,  steady.  Are  you  loaded 
again,  Dunlop?" 

"Yes,  major;  just  ready." 

"Dick,  you  follow;  take  good  aim." 

The  cavalry  answered  their  fire,  every  shot  of  which 
was  taking  effect,  by  a  confused  discharge'of  their  pistols 
at  the  door  and  window. 

"Draw  off!"  their  leader  shouted;  "rear-rank  men 
bold  the  horses,  front-rank  men  dismount  and  break  is 
the  door." 


80  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  troopers  rushed  forward 
on  foot,  and  were  met  by  a  steady  fire,  to  which  tha 
straggling  return  of  their  pistols  was  but  an  inefficient 
answer.  Vainly  the  mutineers  hacked  at  the  door  with 
their  sabers  and  struck  it  with  their  pommels. 

"Throw  yourselves  against  it,  all  at  once,"  cried  their 
leader ;  and  a  dozen  men  sent  themselves  against  the  door ; 
it  creaked  and  strained,  but  the  beam  kept  it  in  its  place. 

"You  keep  up  the  fire  through  the  window,"  said  the 
major;  "the  boys  and  I  will  fire  through  the  door." 

Yells  and  shrieks  followed  each  shot  through  the  door, 
and  after  three  or  four  minutes  the  troopers  drew  off. 

"Any  one  hurt?"  the  major  asked. 

"I  have  got  a  bullet  in  my  shoulder,"  said  Captain 
Dunlop. 

But  that  was  the  only  reply.  There  was  a  shout  out- 
side, and  Manners  exclaimed:  "Confound  the  fellows, 
they  have  got  a  big  log  of  wood  that  will  soon  splinter 
the  door." 

"We  must  stop  them  as  long  as  we  can,"  said  the 
major,  as  he  fired  among  the  men  who  were  advancing 
with  the  log. 

Several  Sepoys  fell  before  they  got  up  to  the  house, 
but  they  pressed  on,  and  at  the  first  blow  given  by  the 
battering-ram  driven  by  the  men  the  door  split  from  top 
to  bottom. 

"Fix  bayonets,"  the  major  said.  "Now,  Manners, 
you  and  I  will  hold  them  back.  Not  more  than  two  can 
come  at  once,  and  their  swords  are  of  no  use  against 
bayonets  in  a  narrow  space.  Dunlop,  will  you  stand  in 
reserve?  you  have  still  got  your  right  hand;  use  3rour 
bayonet  as  a  dagger,  if  a  rush  comes.  Boys,  you  go  ou 
loading  and  firing;  put  in  four  balls  each  time.  If  they 
get  in,  of  course  use  your  bayonets;  there  goes  the 
door!" 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  gj, 

A  shout  burst  from  the  natives  as  the  last  portion  of 
the  door  dropped  from  its  hinges,  and  the  doorway  was 
open.  There  was,  however,  no  inclination  betrayed  to 
make  a  rush. 

"Forward!  death  to  the  infidel  dogs!"  shouted  their 
officer. 

"Suppose  you  lead  us,"  said  one  of  the  troopers;  "the 
officers  always  show  the  way." 

"Come,  then,"  cried  an  old  officer,  on  whose  breast 
hung  several  medals;  "follow  me." 

Drawing  his  sword  he  rushed  forward,  followed  by 
twenty  of  his  men.  But  as  he  passed  over  the  threshold 
he  and  the  trooper  next  to  him  fell  beneath  the  bayonet 
thrusts  of  M  jor  Warrener  and  his  companion.  The  next 
two,  pushed  forward  by  their  comrades,  shared  the  same 
fate ;  while,  as  they  fell,  the  muskets  of  Ned  and  Dick 
sent  their  contents  into  the  mass.  The  rest  recoiled  from 
the  fatal  doorway,  while  the  defenders  set  up  a  cheer  of 
triumph.  It  was  drowned  in  a  crash  of  musketry,  min- 
gled with  a  cry  of  surprise  and  despair  from  the  natives, 
as  a  body  of  British  soldiers  leaped  from  the  wood,  and 
followed  their  volley  by  an  impetuous  charge.  The 
cavalry  on  the  plain  turned  and  fled  at  a  gallop ;  and  in 
five  minutes,  but  for  a  few  dark  figures  prostrate  on  the 
plain,  not  an  enemy  was  in  sight. 

"Well,  gentlemen!  you  have  made  a  stout  defense,'* 
the  officer  in  command  said,  as  he  returned  to  the  shrine 
outside  which  the  little  party  had  gathered.  "It  seems 
as  if  you  could  have  done  without  my  help.  Who  aro 
you,  may  I  ask?  and  where  have  you  sprung  from?" 

"Why,  Sibbold,  is  it  you?  you  haven't  forgotten  War- 
rener ?     And  here  are  Dunlop  and  Manners. ' ' 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  the  officer.  "Thank  God,  old 
fellows,  you  are  saved ;  we  fancied  that  you  had  all  gone 


§2  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

down.  I  am  glad;"  and  he  shook  hands  enthusiastically 
with  his  friends;  while  two  of  the  officers,  coming  up, 
joined  in  the  hearty  greeting. 

"Do  those  two  men  belong  to  your  regiment?"  Captain 
Sibbold  asked.  "If  so,  they  are  wonders;  for  I  don't 
know  a  case  as  yet  where  any  of  the  men  proved  true 
when  the  rest  mutinied. 

"They  are  my  sons,"  Major  Warrener  answered. 

"What?"  exclaimed  the  other,  laughing — believing 
that  the  major  was  joking. 

"It's  a  fact,  as  you  will  see  when  they  have  got  rid  of 
the  stains  on  their  faces,"  he  replied;  while  Captain 
Dunlop  added,  "and  two  as  fine  young  fellows  as  ever 
stepped.  Do  you  know  that  we  three  were  prisoners, 
and  that  these  lads  rescued  us  from  the  middle  of  a 
Pandy  regiment.  If  they  hadn't  we  should  have  been 
dead  men  before  now.  And  now  have  you  got  anything 
to  eat  at  Meerut,  for  we  are  famishing?  In  the  next 
place,  I  have  got  a  bullet  in  my  shoulder,  and  shall  en- 
joy my  food  all  the  more  after  it  has  been  taken  out. 
Our  stories  are  long  and  will  keep.  How  go  things 
here?" 

"Not  ^very  brightly,  Dunlop;  however,  that  will  keep, 
too;  now  let  us  be  off.  Have  we  any  casualties, 
sergeant?"  he  asked  a  non-commissioned  officer,  wha 
came  up  for  orders. 

"None,  sir." 

"What  is  the  enemy's  loss?" 

"There  are  fifteen  which  can  be  fairly  counted  to  us, 
sir,  and  nineteen  here. ' ' 

"That's  a  respectable  total.  Fall  in,  lads,"  he  said  ta 
the  men  who  were  gathered  round,  "and  let  us  get  back. 
You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  these  officers  have  escaped 
from  the  massacre  at  Sandynugghur. ' ' 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  83 

There  was  a  hearty  cheer  of  satisfaction  from  the  men, 
for  Englishmen  were  knit  very  closely  together  in  those 
terrible  days.  Then  falling  in,  the  two  companies  of  the 
Sixtieth  Rifles  marched  back  again  to  their  cantonments 

at  Meerut. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PEUIL, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A    DASHING    EXPEDITION. 

On  arriving  at  the  cantonments  the  party  were  soon 
Eurrounded  by  the  troops,  who  had  been  called  under 
arms  at  the  sound  of  distant  firing,  but  had  been  dis- 
missed again  on  the  arrival  of  a  message  to  the  effect  thai 
the  enemy  had  fled.  The  news  had  spread  rapidly  that 
come  fugitives  had  escaped  from  Sandynugghur,  where 
it  was  supposed  that  the  massacre  had  been  general ;  and 
officers  pressed  forward  to  shake  their  hands,  and  the 
men  uttered  words  of  kindly  congratulation  and  welcome, 
The  greeting  swelled  into  a  cheer  as  the  detachment  fell 
cut,  and  scattering  among  their  comrades,  told  of  the 
desperate  defense,  and  of  the  slaughter  inflicted  upon 
the  enemy  by  this  handful  of  men.  The  fugitives  were, 
of  course,  taken  first  to  the  messroom,  Captain  Dunlop 
being,  however,  carried  off  by  the  surgeon  to  his  quar- 
ters to  have  his  wound  examined  and  attended  to. 

It  seemed  almost  like  a  dream  to  the  worn  and  weary 
party,  as  they  sat  down  again  to  a  table  laid  with  all  the 
brightness  and  comfort  of  civilization,  and  felt  that  they 
were  indeed  safe  among  friends.  Many  were  the  questions 
asked  them  by  officers  who  had  friends  and  acquaintances 
among  the  military  and  civilians  at  Sandynugghur,  and 
the  fugitives  learned  that  they  were,  so  far  as  was 
known,  the  only  survivors  from  the  massacre.  The  story 
ci  their  escape,  and  the  safety  of  the  girls,  was  told 
briefly,  and   listened  to   with   eager   interest;    and  very 


Iff  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  85 

Soap  and  hearty  were  the  congratulations  which  the  boy;3 
received  for  their  share  in  the  history.  In  return,  Major 
"Warrener  learned  what  had  taken  place  in  the  last  ten 
clays. 

The  story  was  not  reassuring;  tidings  of  evil  wera 
coming  from  all  parts.  As  yet  the  number  of  stations 
where  risings  had  taken  place  was  comparatively  small ; 
but  the  position  was  everywhere  critical.  In  Agra,  Alla- 
habad, and  Benares  the  attitude  of  the  native  troops  and 
population  was  more  than  doubtful.  At  Lucknow  and 
Cawnpore  every  precaution  was  being  taken,  but  a  ris- 
ing was  regarded  as  inevitable.  In  fact,  everywhere, 
save  in  the  Punjab,  trouble  had  either  come  or  was 
coming.  General  Anson  was  collecting  in  all  haste  a 
force  at  Umballah,  which  was  intended  to  advance  upon 
Delhi — where  the  ex-king  had  been  proclaimed  Emperor 
of  India — but  his  force  would  necessarily  be  an  ex- 
tremely small  one ;  and  no  help  could  possibly  arrive  up 
country  for  many  weeks.  There  was  therefore  only  the 
Punjab  to  look  to  for  aid.  Happily,  the  troops  of  tha 
Madras  and  Bombay  presidencies  had  so  far  remained 
faithful. 

"I  suppose  you  have  a  good  many  men  from  Delhi, 
civilians  and  military,  as  well  as  from  other  places?" 

"Oh,  yes,  we  are  crowded;  every  bungalow  has  been 
given  up  to  the  ladies,  and  we  all  sleep  under  canvas." 

"I  intend  to  ask  leave  to  get  up  a  troop  of  volunteers,"" 
Major  Warrener  said;  "in  the  first  place  to  go  out  anil 
bring  in  my  daughter  and  niece,  and  afterward  to  do  any 
scouting  or  other  duty  that  may  be  required." 

"There  has  already  been  a  talk  of  forming  ^the  unat- 
tached officers  and  civilians  into  a  sort  of  irregular 
cavalry,  so  I  should  think  that  you  will  get  leave ;  but  it 
Will  be  a  hazardous  business  to  make  your  way  eighty 


£-3  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

miles  through  the  country,  especially  as  the  mutineers 
are  marching  in  all  directions  toward  Delhi. ' ' 

The  next  morning  Major  "Warrener  obtained  permis- 
sion, without  difficulty,  to  carry  out  his  scheme ;  and  the 
news  no  sooner  was  known  through  the  cantonments  that 
&  "body  of  irregular  horse  was  to  be  formed  for  scouting 
and  general  purposes,  and  that  unattached  officers  might, 
until  they  received  further  orders,  join  it,  than  the  tent 
which  had  been  assigned  to  Major  "Warrenerwas  besieged 
hy  men  anxious  to  join  a  corps  which  seemed  likely  to 
afford  them  a  chance  of  striking  an  early  blow  at  the 
mutineers. 

Hitherto  the  officers  who  had  escaped  from  Delhi  and 
other  stations,  those  who  had  come  in  from  police  duties 
in  isolated  districts,  and  civilians,  both  merchants  and 
government  officials,  had  been  fretting  that  they  could 
not  be  doing  something  to  aid  the  great  work  of  holding 
India,  and  punishing  those  who  had  murdered  their 
friends  and  relations.  Major  "Warrener's  Light  Horse, 
as  it  was  to  be  called,  afforded  the  opportunity  desired, 
and  by  the  next  morning  eighty-five  volunteers  had  en- 
rolled themselves.  Some  thirty-five  of  these  were 
officers,  the  rest  civilians.  Many  of  them  had  ridden  in, 
others  had  driven,  so  that  most  of  them  were  already 
provided  with  horses.  An  appeal  was  made  to  the  officers 
of  the  Meerut  garrison,  and  to  the  civilians  resident 
there,  to  give  up  any  horses  they  might  be  able  to  spare 
for  the  public  service,  while  others  were  bought  from 
friendly  zemindars.  In  a  week  the  troop  were  all 
mounted,  and  during  this  time  they  had  worked  hard  to 
acquire  a  sufficient  amount  of  cavalry  drill  to  enable 
them  to  perform  such  simple  evolutions  as  might  be 
necessary.  Major  Warrener  divided  the  squadron  into 
two  troops,  each  with  a  captain  and  subaltern ;  all  these 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  %f 

officers  being  cavalry  men,  as  were  the  officers  who  did 
duty  as  sergeants.  Thus  Major  Warrener  had  the  gen- 
eral command,  each  troop  being  maneuvered  by  its  own 
officers.  In  the  ranks  as  simple  privates  were  two  majors 
and  a  dozen  captains — among  these  latter  Captain  Man- 
ners. Captain  Dunlop  was  for  the  present  in  the  sur- 
geon's hands ;  but  he  was  resolved  that  when  the  tima 
came  for  a  start  for  the  rescue  of  the  girls  he  would  taka 
his  place  in  the  ranks.  The  boys,  of  course,  formed  part; 
of  the  troop.  The  uniform  was  simple,  consisting  simply 
of  a  sort  of  Norfolk  jacket  made  of  karkee,  a  kind  o£ 
coarse  brown  holland  of  native  make.  Each  man  carried 
a  revolver  and  sword-belt  of  brown  leather.  Their  head- 
gear was  a  cap  of  any  kind,  wrapped  round  and  round 
with  the  thick  folds  of  a  brown  puggaree.  Beyond  tha 
Norfolk  jacket  and  puggaree  there  was  no  actual  uni- 
form. Most  of  the  men  had  hunting  breeches,  many  had 
high  boots,  others  had  gaiters;  but  these  were  minoi* 
points,  as  were  the  horses'  equipments. 

Nothing  had  been  said  as  to  the  intended  expedition  to 
bring  in  the  fugitives,  as  native  spies  might  have  carried 
the  news  to  the  rebels,  and  so  caused  a  renewed  search  to 
be  made  for  their  hiding-place.  There  was,  therefore,  a 
deep  feeling  of  satisfaction,  as  well  as  of  surprise,  when, 
on  the  tenth  day  after  the  formation  of  the  corps,  the 
men  were  told,  on  being  dismissed  from  morning  parade, 
that  the  squadron  would  parade  for  duty  at  evening  gun- 
fire ;  that  each  man  was  to  be  provided  with  a  blanket 
and  a  haversack,  with  cooked  food  sufficient  for  four 
days,  and  a  bag  with  twenty  pounds  of  forage  for  his 
horse,  each  horse  to  be  well  fed  before  coming  on  parade, 

Had  the  route  been  free  from  enemies  the  distanco 
might  have  been  done  in  two  long  night  marches ;  but  it 
would  be  necessary  to  make  a  detour  on  starting  so  as  to  i 


gg  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

avoid  striking  the  main  road,  as  on  the  way  out  it  was 
ail-important  to  avoid  detection,  as  the  enemy  might 
muster  in  such  strength  that  their  return  would  be 
difficult  and  dangerous  in  the  extreme.  The  girls  once 
in  their  hands  the  return  journey  would  be  easy,  as  they 
could  avoid  any  infantry,  and  had  no  fear  of  being  able 
to  cut  their  way  through  any  body  of  cavalry  whom  they 
might  accidentally  come  across,  especially  as  they  would 
have  all  the  advantage  of  a  surprise.  Half  an  hour  after 
sunset  the  squadron  rode  out  from  the  lines  at  Meerut, 
amid  a  hearty  cheer  from  the  many  troops  at  the  station, 
who,  hearing  that  Warrener's  Light  Horse  were  off  on 
an  expedition  against  the  mutineers,  had  assembled  to 
see  the  start.  Major  Warrener  rode  at  the  head  of  the 
squadron,  with  Captain  Kent,  who  commanded  the  first 
troop,  by  his  side,  and  behind  them  came  two  native 
guides  well  acquainted  with  the  country.  These  had 
been  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a  native  cavalry  regi- 
ment, in  order  that  if  they  passed  any  village  and  were 
challenged,  they  could  ride  forward  and  represent  the 
troop  as  a  body  of  native  cavalry  sent  out  from  Delhi  on 
a  mission  to  a  friendly  rajah.  The  precaution  was  un- 
necessary. During  two  long  night  marches,  with  occa- 
sional halts  to  rest  the  horses,  they  rode  without  inter- 
ruption. They  passed  through  several  villages;  but 
although  the  tramp  of  the  horses  and  the  rattle  of 
sabers  must  have  been  heard  by  the  inhabitants,  none 
stirred,  for  the  mutineers  took  what  they  wanted  without 
paying,  and  were  already  behaving  as  masters  of  tha 
country,  and  even  thus  early  the  country  people  were 
beginning  to  doubt  whether  the  fall  of  the  English  Saj, 
and  the  substitution  of  the  old  native  rule,  with  its  war, 
its  bloodshed,  and  its  exactions,  was  by  any  means  a 
benefit   so  far  as  the  tillers  of  the  soil  were  concerned. 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  89 

Just  before  morning,  on  the  third  day,  the  troop  halted 
in  a  thick  grove,  having  watered  their  horses  at  a  ta*nk  a 
naif-hour  before.  They  had  ridden  some  seventy  miles 
and  were,  they  calculated,  about  fifteen  miles  from  tha 
place  where  they  had  left  the  girls.  It  might  have  been 
possible  to  push  on  at  once,  but  the  day  was  breaking, 
and  it  would  have  been  inexpedient  to  tire  out  the  horses 
when  they  might  want  all  their  speed  and  strength  on 
the  return  journey.  Very  slowly  passed  the  day.  Most 
of  the  men,  after  seeing  to  their  horses  and  eating  soma 
food,  threw  themselves  down  and  slept  soundly.  But 
Major  Warrener,  his  sons,  and  Captains  Dunlop  and 
Manners  were  far  too  anxious  to  follow  their  example  for 
some  time.  It  was  more  than  a  fortnight  since  the  boy3 
had  left  the  ladies,  and  so  many  things,  of  which  they 
hardly  dared  think,  might  have  happened  since. 

"Don't  let  us  talk  about  it  any  more,"  Major  War- 
rener said  at  last;  "we  only  add  to  each  other's  anxiety. 
Now,  Dunlop,  you  must  positively  lie  down ;  you  know 
Johnson  said  it  was  mad  in  you  to  get  on  horseback  till 
your  bone  had  set  firmly,  and  that  it  was  ten  to  one  in 
favor  of  inflammation  coming  on  again.  Yo\i  have  much 
to  go  through  yet. ' ' 

Gradually  sleepiness  overcame  excitement,  and  with 
the  exception  of  ten  men  told  off  as  sentries  and  to  look 
after  the  horses,  the  whole  party  slept  quietly  for  soma 
hours.  It  had  been  determined  to  start  in  time  to  arrive 
at  the  farmhouse  before  it  was  dark,  as  the  boys  required 
daylight  to  enable  them  to  recognize  the  locality ;  besides 
which  it  was  advisable  to  get  as  far  back  upon  the  return 
journey  as  possible  before  daybreak.  The  boys  were  now 
riding  in  front  with  their  father. 

"That  is  the  wood,"  Ned  said  presently.  "I  know  by 
those  three  palm  trees  growing  together  in  a  clump  at  a 
chort  distance  in  advance.     I  noticed  them  particularly."8 


'90  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  .      ','  '  \ 

"Where  is  the  house?"  Major  "Warrener  asked. 

""We  ought  to  see  the  house,"  Dick  said,  and  he  looked 
at  his  brother  apprehensively. 

"Yes,"  Ned  said;  "we  certainly  ought  to  see  it." 

"You  are  sure  you  are  not  mistaken  in  the  locality?" 
their  father  asked. 

"Quite  sure,"  the  boys  answered  together;  "but  the 
bouse " 

"Let  us  gallop  on,"  Major  Warrener  said,  catching  the 
fear  which  was  expressed  in  each  of  his  sons'  faces. 

Five  minutes'  riding  and  they  drew  up  their  horses 
with  a  cry  of  dismay.  A  large  patch  of  wood  ashes 
marked  the  spot  where  the  house  had  stood.  No  words 
were  needed;  the  truth  was  apparent ;  the  fugitives  had 
been  discovered  and  the  abode  of  their  protectors 
destroyed.  Their  two  friends  joined  the  little  group, 
and  the  rest  of  the  troop  dismounted  at  a  short  distance, 
respecting  the  deep  pain  which  the  discovery  had  caused 
to  their  leader. 

"What  is  to  be  done?"  Major  Warrener  asked,  break- 
ing the  deep  silence. 

i     For  a  moment  no  one  answered,  and  then  Dick  said : 
'   "Perhaps  we  may  find  some  of  the  farmer's  people  in 
the  hut  where  we  slept,  and  we  may  get  news  from  them. " 

"A  capital  thought,  Dick,"  said  Major  Warrener. 
*' We  must  not  give  up  hope;  there  are  no  bodies  lying 
about,  so  the  farm  people  are  probably  alive.  As  to  the 
girls,  if  they  are  carried  off  we  must  rescue  them. 
Where  is  the  hut?" 

A  few  minutes'  walking  brought  them  to  it.  Even 
before  they  reached  it  it  was  evident  that  it  was  in- 
habited, for  two  or  three  peons  were  squatted  near  the 
door.  These  rose  on  seeing  the  group  of  Englishmen, 
fcut  made  no  attempt  at  flight.     They  entered  the  hut 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  "§f 

without  ceremony,  and  Ned  and  Dick  hurried  to  the  side 
of  an  old  man  lying  on  a  heap  of  straw,  while  soma 
females,  standing  near,  hastily  veiled  themselves  at  tho- 
entrance  of  the  strangers. 

"Where  are  the  girls?  what  has  happened?  are  you 
hurt?"  were  the  three  questions  poured  out  rapidly  by 
Ned,  as  the  boys  seized  the  old  man's  hands. 

"Is  it  you,  sahibs?  I  am  glad,  indeed.  I  did  not 
break  my  promise  to  come  and  tell  you;  but  as  you  see,3' 
and  he  pointed  to  the  bandage  which  enveloped  his  head9 
"I  was  wounded,  and  am  still  ill." 

'But  the  girls?"  asked  Ned. 

'They  have  been  carried  off  by  the  troops  of  the  Raj  all 

Nahdoor. " 

'How  long  since?" 

'Thursday,  sahib." 

'How  far  off  is  Nahdoor?" 

'Ten  miles,  sahib." 
Major  Warrener  now  took  up  the  interrogation. 

'How  is  the  one  who  was  ill?" 

'She  was  better,  and  was  getting  stronger  again  when 
they  carried  her  off." 

'Do  you  think  they  are  still  at  Nahdoor?  or  that  they 
have  been  sent  into  Delhi?" 

'They  are  still  there,"  the  Hindoo  said.  "I  have 
sent  a  man  each  day  to  watch,  so  that  directly  I  got  bet- 
ter I  might  be  able  to  tell  you  the  truth  of  the  matter. 
My  servant  has  just  returned;  they  had  not  left  at  three 
o'clock,  and  they  would  be  sure  not  to  start  after  that 
hour.  The  rajah  will  go  with  his  troops  in  a  few  days 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  emperor ;  he  will  probably  take 
the  mem  sahibs  with  him. ' ' 

"Thank  God  for  that,"  Major  "Warrener  said.  "U 
ihey  have  not  yet  been  taken  to  that  horrible  den  oi 


92  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

jaurder,  we  will  save  them.  I  ara  tlie  father  of  one  and 
the  other  is  my  niece, "  he  said  to  the  zemindar;  "and 
I  owe  their  lives  so  far  to  you.  The  debt  of  gratitude  I 
can  never  pay  to  you — or  to  your  wife  and  daughter," 
he  added,  turning  to  the  women,  who,  their  first  impulse 
of  alarm  over,  had  now,  in  the  presence  of  friends,  un- 
covered their  faces,  for  it  is  only  the  higher  class  cf 
Hindoo  women  who  closely  veil — "for  your  care  in  nurs- 
ing my  niece,  and  for  giving  them  shelter,  when  to  do  so 
was  to  risk  your  lives.  This  debt  I  can  never  pay ;  but 
the  losses  you  have  sustained  in  the  destruction  of  your 
house,  and  the  loss  of  animals,  I  can  happily  more  than 
replace.     And  now  tell  me  how  it  happened." 

"It  was  late  in  the  afternoon,"  the  Hindoo  said, 
"when  a  body  of  horse  galloped  across  the  field  to  my 
door.  Their  captain  rode  up  to  me.  'Are  there  any 
Feringhees  hid  here,  old  man?'  he  asked.  'I  have 
seen  no  man  of  the  white  race  since  the  troubles 
began, '  I  said ;  and  you  know  I  spoke  not  falsely.  'I 
must  search  the  house, '  he  said;  'there  area  party  of 
fugitives  hiding  somewhere  in  this  district,  and  the  or- 
ders from  Delhi  are  strict  that  every  Feringhee  is  to  be 
hunted  down  and  sent  there.'  'You  will  find  no  one 
here,'  I  said,  'but  my  women,  one  of  whom  is  sick.'  'I 
must  see  them,'  he  said;  and  he  knocked  loudly  at  the 
door  of  the  women's  room  and  ordered  them  to  come  out. 
My  wife  and  daughter  came  to  the  door.  'Where  is  the 
one  who  is  said  to  be  sick?'  he  said;  'I  must  see  her 
too. '  Then,  seeing  that  he  was  determined  to  enter,  the 
young  mem  sahib  came  to  the  door.  The  captain  gave  a 
shout  of  pleasure;  calling  in  his  men,  he  entered  the 
room,  and  in  spite  of  the  entreaties  of  her  sister,  brought 
the  one  who  was  sick  out  also.  She  was  able  to  walk, 
but  as  we  had  agreed  between  us  should  be  done  if  dis- 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  93 

©every  was  made,  she  pretended  that  she  was  almost  afc 
the  point  of  death.  Some  poles  were  got;  a  hammocL: 
was  made;  and,  borne  by  four  bearers,  she  was  carried 
away,  her  sister  being  placed  on  a  horse  closely  guarded. 
As  he  turned  to  ride  off  the  captain's  eye  fell  upon  me. 
'Ah!  old  traitor!'  he  said;  'I  had  forgotten  you!'  and 
he  drew  a  pistol  and  fired  at  me.  I  know  no  more ;  his 
men  put  fire  to  the  barn  and  granaries,  and  drove  off 
our  cattle  and  horses.  When  he  had  ridden  off  my  serv- 
ants— who  thought  I  was  dead — by  order  of  my  sor- 
rowing wife,  carried  me  here.  Happily,  however,  by  tha 
will  of  Brahma,  the  bullet,  instead  of  going  through  my 
skull,  glanced  off,  and  I  was  only  stunned.  I  had  lost 
much  blood,  but  I  determined  to  set  out  as  soon  as  I 
could  walk  to  bring  you  the  news,  and  in  the  meantima 
have  had  a  watch  kept  upon  Nahdoor. ' ' 

Major  "Warren er  and  his  sons  thanked  the  old  peasant 
and  his  family  in  the  warmest  terms  for  what  they  had 
done,  and  the  former  pressed  upon  the  farmer  a  sum  of 
money  which  would  cover  all  the  losses  he  had  sustained. 

"Your  conduct,"  he  said,  "will  be  reported  to  tho 
government,  and  you  will  find,  when  these  troubles  are 
over,  that  England  knows  how  to  reward  those  who 
proved  faithful  when  so  many  were  faithless.  Now  wa 
will  say  adieu.  When  the  war  is  over  the  ladies  you 
have  so  kindly  treated  will  themselves  return  to  thank 
you." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  troop  was  in  the  saddle  again3 
and  directed  its  march  toward  Nahdoor. 

On  the  way  Major  Warrener  questioned  his  guide  as 
to  the  strength  and  position  of  the  fortress,  which  lay 
away  from  the  main  road,  and  had  not  been  visited  by 
any  of  the  troop — ar  the  major  had  ascertained  befoxo 
Starting.     The  account  was  not  reassuring.     The  gui&Q 


94  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

reported  that  it  stood  on  a  rock,  which  rose  perpendicu- 
larly some  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet  from  the  plain ;  the 
only  access  being  by  a  zigzag  road  cut  in  the  face  of  the 
cliff,  with  a  gateway  defended  by  a  gun,  and  loopholed 
walls  at  each  turn,  and  with  a  very  strong  wall  all  round 
the  edge  of  the  rock.  The  garrison,  they  had  learned 
from  the  persons  at  the  farm,  was  some  three  hundred 
strong,  the  ordinary  number  of  retainers  being  at  present 
increased  by  many  fighting  men,  who  had  within  the 
last  few  days  joined  the  rajah,  on  hearing  that  he  was 
going  to  march  to  Delhi  to  fight  under  the  emperor 
against  the  Feringhees. 

The  troop  halted  in  a  wood  three  miles  from  Nahdoor, 
as  the  guide  said  that  there  was  no  place  nearer  whera 
they  could  be  concealed  without  a  certainty  of  discover. 

Before  morning,  Major  Warrener  and  his  second  in 
command  put  on  native  clothes,  which  the  former  had 
brought  with  him  in  case  it  should  be  necessary  to  open 
communication  with  the  girls,  and  left  the  wood  with 
one  of  the  native  guides.  The  disguises  were  not  meant 
to  deceive  close  investigation,  and  no  attempt  was  made 
to  change  the  color  of  the  skin,  but  they  were  sufficient 
to  enable  the  wearers  to  pass  without  exciting  suspicion 
by  anyone  who  only  saw  them  at  a  distance. 

When  morning  broke  they  stood  within  half  a  mile  of 
the  fortress,  which  answered  exactly  to  the  description 
they  had  received  of  it.  Gradually — keeping  always  at 
a  distance,  and  availing  themselves  as  far  as  possible  of 
cover — they  made  a  circuit  of  the  place,  and  then  re- 
turned to  the  troop,  who  were  anxiously  awaiting  their 
report. 

"It  is  a  very  hard  nut  to  crack,"  Major  Warrener  said 
to  his  sons.  "There  is  no  possibility  of  climbing  tlvs 
wck  anywhere,  or  of  attacking  in  any  way  except  hy  tL.3 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  gg 

regular  ascent.  There  are  eight  gateways  to  be  forced 
before  arriving  at  the  main  entrance  through  the  walls. 
We  should  require  petards  to  blow  in  gates,  and  ought  to 
have  field  guns  to  drive  them  out  of  the  gate-houses.  I 
do  not  say  it  would  be  absolutely  impossible,  because 
before  now  British  troops  have  done  what  seemed  impos- 
sible in  India ;  but  the  difficulties  would  be  so  enormous, 
the  risk  of  failure  so  great,  and  the  loss  certainly  so 
crushing  that  I  should  not  be  justified  in  undertaking 
such  a  desperate  adventure  on  my  own  responsibility  and 
for  my  own  private  ends.  "We  have  no  right,  boys,  to 
cause  the  loss  of  some  thirty  or  forty  of  these  fine  young 
fellows  even  to  rescue  the  girls.  An  attack  by  surprise  is 
the  only  possibility.  At  present  we  don't  see  the  way, 
but  something  may  turn  up  to  help  us.  Failing  that, 
our  only  plan  is  to  wait  till  the  rajah  starts  with  his  fol- 
lowing and  the  girls  for  Delhi,  and  then  to  attack  them 
on  their  way.  The  drawback  to  this  is  that  he  may  not 
leave  for  days,  and  that  at  any  moment  we  may  be  dis- 
covered. Besides,  there  is  the  difficulty  of  feeding  the 
horses  and  ourselves.  Now,  boys,  you  know  as  much  as 
I  do.  Think  it  over  while  I  have  a  talk  with  Dunlop  and 
Manners." 

"Manners  is  at  the  other  end  of  the  wood,  father,  half 
a  mile  away.  We  found,  after  you  had  gone,  that  the 
main  Delhi  road  ran  through  the  further  skirts  of  the 
wood,  so  Manners  suggested  to  Lieutenant  Simmons  that 
he  should  go  with  ten  men  and  hide  there,  so  that  they 
could  see  who  went  along  the  road,  and  perhaps  intercept 
some  messenger  between  Delhi  and  Nahdoor. ' ' 

"A  capital  idea,"  Major  Warrener  said. 

Two  hours  later  Captain  Manners  returned  with  his 
party,  bringing  in  two  prisoners. 

|  "Who  have  you  there,  Manners?"  Major  Warrener 
asked. 


93  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Two  of  the  rascally  Third  Cavalry,  who  mutinied  at 
Meerut.  This  fellow,  as  you  see,  is  a  native  officer; 
there  were  two  of  them  and  two  sowars,  but  they  showed 
fight  when  we  surrounded  them  and  tried  to  ride  through 
us,  so  we  had  to  shoot  two  of  them.  They  are  bearers  of 
a  letter  from  the  Delhi  prince  to  the  rajah.     Here  it  is." 

Major  Warrener  looted  sternly  at  the  prisoners,  who 
were  still  wearing  their  British  uniform,  and  then  or- 
dered them  to  be  taken  away  and  hung  at  once. 

"What  did  you  do  with  the  others,  Manners?" 

"We  hid  their  bodies  under  some  bushes,  at  a  distance 
from  the  road." 

"You  must  go  back,"  the  major  said,  "with  another; 
take  Larkin  with  you.  You  must  strip  off  the  uniforms 
and  bring  them  here." 

Half  an  hour  later  Major  Warrener  summoned  tha 
captains  of  his  two  troops  and  took  them  into  council. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  fortunate  than  this  capture," 
he  said;  "it  seems  to  clear  the  way  for  us  altogether. 
Yvhat  I  propose  to  do  is  this :  that  two  of  the  best  lin- 
guists of  the  troop,  with  the  two  native  guides,  should 
dress  in  the  uniforms  of  these  scoundrels.  They  can 
then  go  boldly  in  with  the  letter  from  the  prince. 
They  will,  of  course,  be  well  received  and  will  stay  for 
the  night.  The  two  who  go  as  officers  will  be  entertained 
by  the  rajah  and  will  learn  the  plan  of  the  state  apart- 
ments; the  other  two  will  be  made  welcome  by  tha 
retainers.  When  all  is  quiet  at  night  they  must  steal  out 
and  wait  on  the  wall.  That  projecting  watch-tower  that 
overhangs  the  cliff  on  the  other  side  would  be  the  best. 
VVe  will  be  below.  Then  a  rope  must  be  lowered.  We 
have  two  long  picketing  ropes,  either  of  which  would  be 
long  enough,  but  they  would  be  too  bulky  to  carry  ia 
without  suspicion.      Our   native  guides,   however,   will 


]N  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  9'V 

soon  tear  up  some  cloth  and  twist  a  rope  not  much  thicker 
than  string,  but  strong  enough  to  hold  the  rope.  Then 
the  string  can  be  twisted  round  the  body  without  fear  of 
detection,  and  when  the  time  comes,  lowered,  with  a 
stone  at  the  end.  We  shall  be  below  with  a  strong  rope 
ladder,  made  with  the  picket-ropes  and  bamboo  staves; 
and  once  fixed,  we  shall  be  up  in  no  time.  I  leave  it  to 
you  to  decide  who  are  the  best  linguists.  They  must  of 
course  be  asked  if  they  are  willing  to  undertake  it.  I 
will  speak  to  the  guides.  What  do  you  think  of  the 
general  plan?" 

"Excellent, "  the  officers  said.  "It  might  be  as  well," 
one  suggested,  "that  each  of  the  party  should  have  a 
light  rope  wound  round  him  so  that  if  one,  two,  or  even 
three  could  not  slip  away,  the  fourth  could  still  carry 
out  the  plan. ' ' 

Some  other  details  were  arranged  and  then  the  officers 
went  to  pick  out  the  two  men  who  could  best  pass  as 
natives.  There  was  no  difficulty  upon  this  score,  for  two 
of  the  troop,  who  had  for  years  commanded  large  police 
districts,  spoke  the  language  as  perfectly  as  natives,  and 
these,  upon  being  asked,  readily  accepted  the  duty.  The 
work  of  making  the  rope  ladders  and  the  light  ropes  for 
hauling  them  up  was  entered  upon,  and  by  sunset  all 
were  ready  for  the  expedition. 

It  was  fortunate  that  they  had  no  longer  to  stay  in  the 
wood,  for  during  the  day  five  or  six  natives  who  came  in 
to  gather  wood  had  to  be  seized  and  bound,  and  it  wa3 
certain  that  a  search  would  be  set  on  foot  there  next 
morning.  Fortunately  a  large  field  of  Indian  corn  bor- 
dered one  side  of  the  wood,  and  from  this  both  man  and 
horse  had  satisfied  their  hunger. 

Every  detail  of  the  plan  was  carefully  considered  and 
discussed  so  that  no  mistake   could  occur;  and  each  of 


93  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

the  principal  actors  in  the  piece  had  his  part  assigned  to 
him.  The  two  native  guides,  who  had  themselves  served 
as  soldiers  in  native  regiments,  consented  willingly  to 
perform  their  parts,  and  just  at  sunset  the  two  officers 
and  men  rode  off  to  Nahdoor,  bearing  the  letter  from  the 
Prince  of  Delhi  to  the  rajah. 

There  was  high  feasting  in  Nahdoor  that  night.  Th© 
rajah  had  received  with  all  honor  the  officers  from 
Delhi.  The  letter  from  the  prince  had  promised  him  a 
high  command  in  the  army  which  was  to  exterminate  the 
last  infidel  from  the  land.  It  had  thanked  him  for  the 
capture  of  the  white  women,  and  had  begged  him  to 
bring  them  on  with  him  to  Delhi,  and  to  come  at  once 
with  his  own  force.  From  the  officers  the  rajah  had 
heard  how  the  mutiny  was  everywhere  a  success,  and 
that  at  Lucknow  and  Cawnpore  the  troops  would  rise  in 
a  day  or  two  and  massacre  all  the  whites.  The  evening 
ended  early,  for  the  officers  from  Delhi  were  fatigued 
with  their  long  ride,  and  being  shown  into  a  little  square 
marble-lined  room  off  the  great  hall  where  they  had 
supped,  were  soon  apparently  asleep  on  the  cushions  and 
shawls  spread  for  them.  The  rajah  retired  to  his  apart- 
ments, and  his  officers  to  their  quarters ;  and  although 
for  another  hour  talking  and  laughing  went  on  round  the 
little  fires  in  the  courtyard,  presently  these  too  were 
hushed,  and  a  profound  stillness  fell  upon  Nahdoor. ' 
Then,  barefooted,  the  officers  from  Delhi  stole  out  of 
their  apartment  and  made  for  the  outer  wall.  As  they 
had  anticipated,  they  found  no  one  about;  beyond  a 
sentry  at  the  lower  gate  there  would  be  no  watch  kept, 
and  they  reached  the  watch-tower  on  the  wall  without 
the  slightest  interruption.  Here  two  other  figures  had 
already  arrived,  and  after  throwing  down  some  small 
atones  as  a  signal,  which  was  answered  by  a  faint  whistlo, 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  90 

the  ropes  were  lowered  without  delay.  One  of  them  was 
Boon  seized  from  below,  and  the  others  being  also  found 
and  fastened  to  the  rope  ladder,  the  weight  of  which  was 
considerable,  those  above  began  to  draw  up.  Every- 
thing succeeded  admirably.  One  by  one  fifty  men  ap- 
peared at  the  top  of  the  wall.  Quietly  they  made  their 
way  down  to  the  courtyard  and  broke  up  into  parties, 
taking  their  places  at  the  entrance  to  the  various  build- 
ings ;  then,  all  further  need  for  concealment  being  at  an 
end,  a  bugle  call  sounded  loud  in  the  air.  It  was 
answered  by  another  down  upon  the  plain  near  the  gate. 
The  rajah  himself  was  one  of  the  first  to  rush  out.  He 
was  seized  and  disarmed  before  he  was  aware  of  what 
had  happened. 

"Tell  your  men  to  throw  down  their  arms  and  sur- 
render/' Major  Warrener  said  to  him,  "or  we  will  put 
you  and  every  soul  here  to  the  sword.  The  place  is  sur- 
rounded, and  there  is  no  escape.  Do  you  not  hear  our 
bugles  on  the  plain?" 

It  needed  not  the  rajah's  order;  the  garrison,  taken 
utterly  by  surprise,  and  finding  the  castle  captured  by 
an  enemy  of  unknown  strength,  threw  down  their  arms 
as  they  came  out  of  their  quarters.  Orders  were  sent  by 
the  rajah  to  the  men  at  the  various  gates  on  the  hill  to 
come  up  and  lay  down  their  arms,  and  the  sentry  at  the 
lowest  of  all  was  to  open  it  to  the  troops  there.  A  bugler 
and  ten  men  were  left  below,  and  the  rest  joined  the 
party  in  the  castle. 

Long  ere  they  had  arrived  the  joyful  meeting  of  the 
captives  and  their  friends  had  taken  place.  Rose  and 
Kate  had  awoke  at  the  sound  of  the  bugle,  but  had 
heeded  it  little,  believing  that  it  was  only  a  Sepoy  call. 
Even  the  stir  and  commotion  outside  had  not  disturbed 
them,  and  they  had  lain  quiet  until  they  heard  a  loud 


100  m  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

knocking  at  the  door  of  the  women's  apartments,  followed 
by  screams  from  the  women,  and  then — they  could 
scarcely  believe  their  ears — their  names  shouted  in  Major 
Warrener's  voice.  With  a  cry  of  delight  both  sprang 
up,  and  seizing  shawls,  rushed  to  the  door,  and  in 
another  moment  Kate  was  in  the  arms  of  her  father. 

"We  are  all  here,  dear,"  he  said,  after  the  first  wild 
greeting — "the  boys,  and  Dunlop  and  Manners.  Hurry 
on  your  clothes,  darlings;  they  are  longing  to  see  you." 

The  garrison  of  the  castle  were  all  collected  in  one  of 
the  smaller  courts,  where  twenty  troopers,  revolver  in 
hand,  kept  guard  over  them.  The  whole  of  the  arms 
found  in  the  castle  were  broken  to  pieces  and  thrown 
over  the  walls,  and  the  cannon  planted  there  were  first 
spiked  and  then  pitched  over.  The  guns  on  the  gate3 
were  similarly  rendered  useless,  and  the  stores  of  gun* 
powder  all  wetted.  The  rajah  and  his  two  sons,  boys  of 
six  and  eight,  were  then  told  to  prepare  to  accompany 
the  troops,  and  warning  was  given  that  they  would  be 
shot  in  case  an  attack  was  made  upon  the  force  as  it 
returned  to  Meerut. 

"Tell  your  followers  this,"  Major  Warrener  said,  "and 
order  them  to  give  no  alarm  or  to  spread  the  news;  for 
if  we  are  caught  your  life  and  that  of  your  sons  will  pay 
forfeit.  As  it  is,  you  may  hope  for  clemency.  You  have 
as  yet  taken  no  part  in  the  insurrection ;  and  although 
there  is  no  doubt  of  your  intention,  your  good  conduct 
in  the  future  may  perhaps  wipe  out  the  memory  of  your . 
faults. ' ' 

It  needs  not  to  say  anything  of  the  rapturous  greeting 
of  the  girls  and  their  brothers  and  lovers,  or  the  happy 
half-hour  which  was  spent  together  in  the  -great  hall 
while  the  preparations  for  the  departure  were  being  made 
C&tside.     Captain  Kent  saw  to  all  that  there  was  to  fod 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

d.one,  leaving  the  major  free  to  join  the  happy  party 
T/ithin. 

"Are  you  strong  enough  to  ride,  Rose?" 

"Oh,  I  think  so,  uncle;  I  have  been  shamming  ill,  and 
they  thought  I  could  not  walk ;  but  I  am  pretty  strong, 
and  if  I  can't  ride  by  myself  I  must  be  tied  on  to  some 
one  else." 

"I  dare  say  my  horse  will  carry  double,"  Captain  Man- 
ners said,  laughing. 

"Have  the  women  here  been  kind?"  Major  Warrener 
asked. 

The  girls  shook  their  heads. 

"Not  very,  papa;  they  have  been  talking  of  Delhi;" 
and  Kate  shuddered. 

The  major  frowned;  he  could  guess  what  they  must 
have  suffered.     He  went  to  the  door. 

"Kent,  order  the  women  out  of  the  zenana  into  one  of 
the  other  rooms.  Tell  them  that  they  will  all  be 
searched  as  they  come  out,  and  that  if  one  brings  out  an 
ornament  or  a  jewel  with  her  she  will  be  put  to  death. 
Of  course  you  will  not  search  them,  but  the  threat  will 
do.  Let  no  insult  be  offered  them.  Then  let  Rivers 
take  four  men  and  go  in  and  take  all  the  loot  you  can 
find.  The  jewels  we  will  divide  among  the  men  when  at 
Meerut.  Tell  off  another  party  to  loot  the  rest  of  the 
rooms,  but  only  take  what  is  really  valuable  and  portable. 
We  cannot  cumber  ourselves  with  baggage.  It  would 
serve  the  rajah  right  if  I  were  to  burn  his  castle  down; 
he  may  think  himself  lucky  to  get  off  with  his  life. " 

The  girls  pleaded  for  the  women.  "We  bear  them  no 
ill-feeling,"  they  said.  "They  are  very  ignorant;  they 
only  acted  as  they  were  taught." 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  major,  "we  will  take  the  jewels 
alone ;  they  are  fair  loot. ' ' 


302  *&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Another  hour  and  the  troops  were  already  well  on  their 
X7&y  on  the  Delhi  road.  The  good  luck  which  had  at- 
tended them  so  far  followed  them  to  the  end.  Anxious 
to  avoid  an  encounter  with  the  enemy,  they  took  an 
even  more  circuitous  route  than  that  by  which  they  had 
come,  and  on  the  fourth  afternoon  after  leaving  rode 
Into  Meerut,  where  their  arrival  after  the  long  and  suc- 
cessful expedition  created  quite  an  excitement.  A  com- 
fortable house  was  found  for  the  girls,  with  some  old 
friends  of  the  major,  who  resided  permanently  at  Meerut; 
S3  for  the  major  and  his  troops,  they  prepared  to  accom- 
pany the  column  which  was  on  the  point  of  marching 


i  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.) 


CHAPTER  VH, 

DELHI. 

Nbvee  did  a  government  or  a  people  meet  a  terribla 
disaster  with  a  more  undaunted  front  than  that  dis- 
played by  the  government  and  British  population  of 
India,  when  the  full  extent  of  the  peril  caused  by  the 
rising  of  the  Sepoys  was  first  clearly  understood.  By 
the  rising  of  Delhi,  and  of  the  whole  country  down  to 
Allahabad,  the  northern  part  of  India  was  entirely  cut  off 
from  Calcutta,  and  was  left  wholly  to  its  own  resources. 
Any  help  that  could  be  spared  from  the  capital  was 
needed  for  the  menaced  garrisons  of  Allahabad,  Benares 
and  Agra,  while  it  was  certain  that  the  important  stations 
of  Cawnpore  and  Lueknow,  in  the  newly-annexed  prov-' 
ince  of  Oude,  would  at  best  be  scarcely  able  to  defend 
themselves,  and  would  in  all  probability  urgently  require 
assistance.  Thus  the  rebel  city  of  Delhi,  the  center  and  ■ 
focus  of  the  insurrection,  was  safe  from  any  possibility 
of  a  British  advance  from  the  south.  Nor  did  it  look  as 
if  the  position  of  the  English  was  much  better  in  the 
north.  At  Sealkote,  Lahore,  and  many  other  stations 
the  Sepoys  mutinied,  and  the  Sikh  regiments  were  dis- 
turbed and  semi-mutinous.  It  was  at  this  all-important 
moment  that  the  fidelity  of  two  or  three  of  the  great 
Sikh  chieftains  saved  British  India.  Foremost  of  them 
was  the  Rajah  of  Puttiala,  who,  when  the  whole  Sikh 
nation  was  wavering  as  to  the  course  it  should  take,  rode 


104  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

into  the  nearest  British  [station  with  only  one  retainer, 
and  offered  his  whole  force,  and  his  whole  treasury  to  the 
British  government.  A  half-dozen  other  prominent 
princes  instantly  followed  the  example;  and  from  that 
moment  Northern  India  was  not  only  safe,  but  was  able 
to  furnish  troops  for  the  siege  of  Delhi.  The  Sikh  regi- 
ments at  once  returned  to  their  habitual  state  of  cheerful 
obedience,  and  served  with  unflinching  loyalty  and  brav- 
ery through  the  campaign. 

Not  a  moment  was  lost,  as  it  was  all-important  to  make 
an  appearance  before  Delhi,  and  so,  by  striking  at  the 
heart  of  the  insurrection,  to  show  the  waverers  all  over 
India  that  we  had  no  idea  of  giving  up  the  game.  The 
main  force  was  collected  at  Umballah,  under  General 
Anson.  Transport  was  hastily  got  together,  and  in  the 
last  week  of  May  this  force  moved  forward,  while  a 
brigade  from  Meerut  advanced  to  effect  a  junction  with 
it.  With  this  latter  force  were  Warrener's  Irregular 
Horse,  which  had  returned  only  the  evening  before  the 
advance,  from  its  successful  expedition  to  Nahdoor.  On 
the  30th  of  May  the  Meerut  force,  under  Brigadier- 
General  Wilson,  came  in  contact  with  the  enemy  at 
Ghazee-ud-deen-Nugghur,  a  village  fifteen  miles  from 
Delhi,  where  there  was  a  suspension  bridge  across  the 
Hindur.  This  fight,  although  unimportant  in  itself,  is 
memorable  as  being  the  first  occasion  upon  which  the 
mutineers  and  the  British  troops  met.  Hitherto  the 
Sepoys  had  had  it  entirely  their  own  way.  Mutiny, 
havoc,  murder,  had  gone  on  unchecked ;  but  now  the  tide 
was  to  turn,  never  to  ebb  again  until  the  Sepoy  mutiny 
was  drowned  in  a  sea  of  blood.  Upon  this  their  first 
meeting  with  the  white  troops,  the  Sepoys  were  confident 
of  success.  They  were  greatly  superior  in  force ;  they 
had  been  carefully  drilled  in  the  English  system;  they 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  105 

"were  led  by  their  native  regimental  officers ;  and  they 
had  been  for  so  many  years  pampered  and  indulged  by 
government  that  they  regarded  themselves  as  being, 
man  for  man,  fully  equal  to  the  British.  Thus,  then, 
they  began  the  fight  with  a  confidence  of  victory,  which, 
however  great  their  superiority  in  numbers,  was  never 
again  felt  by  the  mutineers  throughout  the  war.  Upon 
many  subsequent  occasions  they  fought  with  extreme 
bravery,  but  it  was  the  bravery  of  despair ;  whereas  the 
British  soldiers  were  animated  with  a  burning  desire  for 
vengeance  and  an  absolute  confidence  of  victory-  Thus 
the  fight  at  Ghazee-ud-deen-Nugghur  is  a  memorable  one 
in  the  annals  of  British  India. 

The  mutineers,  seeing  the  smallness  of  the  British 
force,  at  first  advanced  to  attack ;  but  they  were  met  with 
such  fury  by  four  companies  of  the  Sixtieth  Rifles,  sup- 
ported by  eight  guns  of  the  artillery,  by  the  Carbineers 
and  Warrener's  Horse  that,  astounded  and  dismayed, 
they  broke  before  the  impetuous  onslaught,  abandoned 
their  intrenchments,  threw  away  their  arms,  and  fled, 
leaving  five  guns  in  the  hands  of  the  victors,  and  in  many 
cases  not  stopping  in  their  flight  until  they  reached  the 
gates  of  Delhi.  The  next  day  considerable  bodies  of 
fresh  troops  came  out  to  renew  the  attack;  but  the  re- 
ports of  the  fugitives  of  the  day  before  of  the  fury  and 
desperation  with  which  the  British  troops  were  possessed, 
had  already  effected  such  an  impression  that  they  did 
not  venture  upon  close  fighting,  but  after  engaging  in  an 
artillery  duel  at  long  distances,  fell  back  again  to  Delhi. 

On  the  7th  of  June  the  Meerut  force  joined  that  from 
Umballah,  at  Alipore,  a  short  march  from  Delhi ;  and  the 
next  morning  the  little  army,  now  under  the  command 
of  Sir  H.  Barnard — for  General  Anson,  overwhelmed  by 
work  and  responsibility,  had  died  a  few  days  before — * 


306  Z&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

advanced  upon  the  capital  of  India.  After  four  miles' 
march  they  came,  at  Badulee-Ka-Serai,  upon  the  enemy's 
first  line  of  defense,  a  strong  intrenched  position,  held 
by  three  thousand  Sepoys  with  twelve  guns.  These 
pieces  of  artillery  were  much  heavier  than  the  British 
field  guns,  and  as  they  opened  a  heavy  fire  they  inflicted 
considerable  damage  upon  our  a'dvancing  troops.  The 
British,  however,  were  in  no  humor  for  distant  fighting ; 
they  panted  to  get  at  the  murderers  of  women  and 
children — these  men  who  had  shot  down  in  cold  blood 
the  officers  whose  only  fault  had  been  their  too  great 
kindness  to  and  confidence  in  them.  Orders  were  given 
to  the  Seventy-fifth  to  advance  at  once  and  take  the  posi- 
tion; and  that  regiment,  giving  a,  tremendous  cheer, 
rushed  forward  with  such  impetuosity  through  the  heavy 
fire  that,  as  at  Ghazee-ud-deen-Nugghur,  the  Sepoys  were 
seized  with  a  panic,  and  fled  in  wild  haste  from  their 
intrenchments,  leaving  their  cannon  behind  them. 

At  the  foot  of  the  steep  hill  on  which  the  signal  tower 
stands,  another  and  stronger  line  of  defense  had  been 
'  prepared ;  but  the  mutineers  stationed  here  were  infected 
by  the  wild  panic  of  the  fugitives  from  the  first  position, 
and  so,  deserting  their  position,  joined  in  the  flight  into 
the  city. 

The  British  troops  had  marched  from  their  encamp- 
ment at  Alipore  at  one  in  the  morning,  and  by  nine  a.  si. 
the  last  Sepoy  disappeared  within  the  walls  of  the  town, 
and  the  British  flag  flew  out  on  the  signal  tower  on  the 
Ridge,  almost  looking  down  upon  the  rebel  city,  and  the 
troops  took  up  their  quarters  in  the  lines  formerly  oc- 
cupied by  the  Thirty -eighth,  Fifty -fourth,  and  Seventy- 
fourth  native  regiments.  As  the  English  flag  blew  out  to 
the  wind  from  the  signal  tower  a  thrill  of  anxiety  must 
ibave  been  felt  by  every  one  in  Delhi,  from  the  emperor 


ZZV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

clown  to  the  lowest  street  ruffian.  So  long  as  it  waived! 
there  it  was  a  proof  that  the  British  raj  was  not  yet 
overthrown — that  British  supremacy,  although  sorely 
shaken,  still  asserted  itself — and  that  the  day  of  reckon- 
ing and  retribution  would,  slowly  perhaps,  but  none 
the  less  surely,  come  for  the  blood-stained  city.  Not 
only  in  Delhi  itself,  but  over  the  whole  of  India,  the  eyes 
of  the  population  were  turned  toward  that  British  flag 
on  the  Ridge.  Native  and  British  alike  recognized  the 
fact  that  English  supremacy  in  India  depended  upon  its 
maintenance.  That  England  would  send  out  large  rein- 
forcements all  knew,  but  they  also  knew  that  many  an 
anxious  week  must  elapse  before  the  first  soldier  from 
England  could  arrive  within  striking  distance.  If  the 
native  leaders  at  Delhi,  with  the  enormously  superior 
forces  at  their  command,  could  not  drive  off  their  be- 
siegers and  pluck  down  the  flag  from  the  Ridge,  the 
time  must  come  when,  with  the  arrival  of  the  reinforce- 
ments, the  tide  would  begin  to  flow  against  them.  So 
India  argued,  and  waited  for  the  result.  The  Delhi 
leaders,  as  well  as  the  English,  felt  the  importance  of  the 
issue,  and  the  one  never  relaxed  their  desperate  efforts 
to  drive  back  the  besiegers — the  other  with  astonishing 
tenacity  held  on  against  all  odds ;  while  scores  of  native 
chiefs  hesitated  on  the  verge,  waiting,  until  they  saw  an 
end  of  the  struggle  at  Deilhi.  It  was  called  the  siege  of 
Delhi,  but  it  should  rather  have  been  called  the  siege  of 
the  Ridge,  for  it  was  our  force  rather  than  that  of  the 
enemy  which  was  besieged.  Never  before  in  the  history 
of  the  world  did  three  thousand  men  sit  down  before  a 
great  city  inhabitated  by  a  quarter  of  a  million  bitterly- 
hostile  inhabitants,  and  defended  moreover  by  strong 
walls,  a  very  powerful  artillery,  and  a  well-drilled  and 
disciplined  force,  at  first  amounting  to  some  ten  thousand 


108  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

men,  but  swelled  later  on,  as  the  mutineers  poured  in 
from  all  quarters,  to  three  times  that  force.  Never  dur- 
ing the  long  months  which  the  struggle  lasted  did  -we 
attempt  to  do  more  than  to  hold  our  own.  The  city  was 
open  to  the  enemy  at  all  sides,  save  where  we  held  our 
footing;  large  forces  marched  in  and  out  of  the  town; 
provisions  and  stores  poured  into  it ;  and  we  can  scarcely 
be  said  to  have  fired  a  shot  at  it  until  our  batteries 
opened  to  effect  a  breach,  a  few  days  before  the  final 
assault. 

The  troops  with  which  Sir  H.  Barnard  arrived  before 
Delhi  consisted  of  the  Seventy-fifth  Regiment,  six  com- 
panies of  the  Sixtieth  Rifles,  the  First  Bengal  Fusiliers, 
six  companies  of  the  Second  Fusiliers — both  composed  of 
white  troops — the  Sirmoor  Battalion  of  Goorkhas,  the 
Sixth  Dragoon  Guards  (the  Carbineers),  two  squadrons 
of  the  Ninth  Lancers,  and  a  troop  or  two  of  newly  raised 
irregular  horse.  The  artillery  consisted  of  some  thirty 
pieces,  mostly  light  field  guns. 

Upon  the  day  following  the  occupation  of  the  Ridge, 
a  welcome  accession  of  strength  was  received  by  the 
arrival  of  the  Guides,  a  picked  corps,  consisting  of  three 
troops  of  cavalry  and  six  companies  of  infantry.  This 
little  force  had  marched  five  hundred  and  eighty  miles  in 
twenty-two  days,  a  rate  of  twenty-six  miles  a  day  with- 
out a  break — a  feat  probably  altogether  without  example, 
especially  when  it  is  considered  that  it  took  place  in 
India,  and  in  the  hottest  time  of  the  year. 

The  Ridge,  which  occupies  so  important  a  place  in  the 
history  of  the  siege  of  Delhi,  is  a  sharp-backed  hill,  some 
half  a  mile  long,  rising  abruptly  from  the  plain.  From 
the  top  a  splendid  view  of  Delhi  and  of  the  country » 
scattered  with  mosques  and  tombs — the  remains  of  older 
li — can  be  obtained.     The   cantonments  lay  at  tha 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  109 

Iback  of  this  hill,  a  few  posts  only,  such  as  Hindoo  Rao's 
Louse,  being  held  in  advance.  Until  the  work  of  build- 
ing batteries  and  regularly  commencing  the  siege  should 
begin  it  would  have  been  useless  putting  the  troops  un- 
necessarily under  the  fire  of  the  heavy  guns  of  the  city 
bastions. 

\  When  the  troops  had  fairly  taken  possession  of  the 
old  native  lines  on  the  8th  of  June  many  of  them,  as  soon 
as  dismissed  from  duty,  made  their  way  up  to  the  flag- 
staff tower  on  the  highest  point  of  the  Ridge  to  look 
down  upon  Delhi.  Among  those  who  did  so  were  Major 
kWarrener  and  his  two  sons.  Both  uttered  an  exclama- 
tion of  pleasure  as  the  city  came  into  view — 
h    "What  a  superb  city!" 

'  Delhi  is  indeed  a  glorious  city  as  viewed  from  the 
Ridge.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  lofty  crenelated  wall, 
strengthened  with  detached  martello  towers,  and  with 
eleven  bastions,  each  mounting  nine  guns,  the  work  oi* 
our  own  engineers,  but  in  admirable  architectural  keep- 
ing with  the  towers.  Conspicuous  on  a  high  table  rock 
rising  almost  perpendicularly  in  the  heart  of  the  city  is 
the  Jumma  Musjid,  the  great  mosque,  a  superb  pile  of 
building,  with  its  domes  and  minarets.  To  the  left,  as 
viewed  from  the  Ridge,  is  the  great  mass  of  the  king's 
palace — a  fortress  in  itself — with  its  lofty  walls  and 
towers,  and  with  its  own  mosques  and  minarets.  These 
rise  thickly,  too,  in  other  parts,  while  near  the  palace  the 
closely-packed  houses  cease,  and  lofty  trees  rise  alone 
there.  The  Ridge  lies  on  the  north  of  the  city,  and  op- 
posite to  it  is  the  Cashmere  gate,  through  which  our 
storming  parties  would  rush  later  on,  and  away,  a  little 
to  the  right,  is  the  Lahore  gate,  through  which  the 
enemy's  sorties  were  principally  made.  On  the  left  of 
It?  Ridge  the   ground  is  flat  to  the  river,  which  sweeps 


HO  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

along  by  the  wall  of  the  town  and  palace.  There  are  tv^a 
bridges  across  it,  and  over  them  the  exulting  mutineers 
were  for  weeks  to  pass  into  the  city — not  altogether 
unpunished,  for  our  guns  carried  that  far,  and  were  some- 
times able  to  inflict  a  heavy  loss  upon  them  as  they 
passed,  with  music  playing  and  flags  flying,  into  tha 
town. 

"A  glorious  city!"  Ned  Warrener said,  as  they  looked 
down  upon  it.  "What  a  ridiculous  handful  of  men  wa 
seem  by  the  side  of  it !  It  is  like  Tom  Thumb  sitting 
down  to  besiege  the  giant's  castle.  Why,  we  should  be 
lost  if  we  got  inside ! ' ' 

"Yes,  indeed,  Ned, "  said  his  father;  "there  will  be 
no  possibility  of  our  storming  that  city  until  our  num- 
bers are  greatly  increased ;  for  if  we  scaled  the  walls  by 
assault,  which  we  could  no  doubt  do,  we  should  have  to 
fight  our  way  through  the  narrow  streets  with  barriers 
and  barricades  everywhere,  and  such  a  force  as  ours 
would  simply  melt  away  before  the  fire  from  the  house- 
tops and  windows.  There  is  nothing  so  terrible  as  street 
fighting ;  and  drill  and  discipline  are  there  of  compara- 
tively little  use.  The  enemy  will  naturally  fight  with 
the  desperation  of  rats  in  a  hole ;  and  it  would  be  rash 
in  the  extreme  for  us  to  make  the  attempt  until  we  are 
sure  of  success.  A  disastrous  repulse  here  would  entail 
the  loss  of  all  India.  The  news  is  worse  and  worse  every 
day  from  all  the  stations  of  the  northwest;  and  as  the 
mutineers  are  sure  to  make  for  Delhi,  the  enemy  will  re- 
ceive reinforcements  vastly  more  rapidly  than  we  shall, 
and  it  will  be  all  we  shall  be  able  to  do  to  hold  our  own 
here.     We  may  be  months  before  we  take  Delhi. ' ' 

"I  hope  they  won't  keep  us  here  all  that  time,"  Dick 
said,  "for  cavalry  can't  do  much  in  a  siege;  besides,  tha 
ground  is  all  cut  up  into  gardens  and  inclosures,  and  wa 
could  not  act,  even  if  we  had  orders  to  do  so. ' ' 


W  TIMES  OF  PERIL,  HI 

**We  may  be  very  useful  in  going  out  to  "bring  convoys 
5b/5  Major  Warren er  replied,  "and  to  cut  off  convoys  of 
the  enemy,  to  scout  generally  and  to  bring  in  news ;  still, 
I  agree  with  you,  Dick,  that  I  hope  we  may  be  sent  off 
for  duty  elsewhere.     Halloo!  what's  that?" 

As  he  spoke  a  sudden  fire  broke  out  from  the  walls 
and  bastions;  shot  and  shell  whizzed  over  their  heads, 
many  of  them  plunging  down  behind  the  Ridge,  among 
the  troops  who  were  engaged  in  getting  up  their  tents ; 
"while  a  crackling  fire  of  musketry  broke  out  in  the  gar- 
dens around  Hindoo  Rao's  house,  our  advanced  post  on 
the  right  front. 

"A  sortie!"  exclaimed  the  major.  "Come  along, 
boys."  And  those  who  had  gathered  around  the  flagstaff 
dashed  down  the  hill  to  join  their  respective  corps.  The 
Sixtieth  Rifles,  however,  of  whom  two  companies  held 
Hindoo  Rao's,  repulsed  the  sortie,  and  all  calmed  down 
again ;  but  the  enemy's  artillery  continued  to  play,  and 
it  was  evident  that  the  foe  had  it  in  his  power  to  cause 
great  annoyance  to  all  our  pickets  on  the  Ridge. 

Fortunately  our  position  could  only  be  assailed  on  one 
side.  Our  cavalry  patrolled  the  plain  as  far  as  the  river, 
and  our  rear  was  covered  by  a  canal  possessing  but  few 
bridges,  and  those  easily  guarded.  It  was  thus  from  our 
right  and  right  front  alone  that  serious  attacks  could  be 
looked  for. 

The  next  afternoon  a  heavy  firing  broke  out  near 
Hindoo  Eao's  house,  and  the  troops  got  under  arms. 
The  enemy  were  evidently  in  force. 

An  aid-de-camp  rode  up : 

"Major  Warrener,  you  will  move  up  your  troop  and 
fall  in  with  the  Guide  Cavalry." 

At  a  trot  Warrener's  Horse  moved  off  toward  the  right. 
guns  on  the  walls  were  now  all  at  work,  and  our 


Yi%  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

artillery  at  Hindoo  Rao's  were  answering  them,  and  ih.3 
shots  from  a  light  battery  placed  by  the  flagstaff  went 
singing  away  toward  the  right. 

Warrener's  Horse  were  now  at  the  station  assigned  to 
them.  The  musketry  fire  in  the  gardens  and  broken 
ground  near  Hindoo  Rao's  was  very  heavy,  and  a  large 
body  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  was  seen  extending  into  the 
plain,  with  the  intention  of  pushing  forward  on  the  right 
of  the  Ridge. 

"You  will  charge  the  enemy  at  once,"  an  aid-de-camp 
said;  and  with  a  cheer  the  Guides  and  Warrener's  Hor39 
dashed  forward. 

It  was  the  moment  they  had  longed  for ;  and  the  fury 
with  which  they  charged  was  too  much  for  the  enemy, 
who,  although  enormously  superior  in  numbers,  halted 
before  they  reached  them,  and  fled  toward  the  city,  with 
the  British  mixed  with  them,  in  a  confused  mass  of  fight- 
ing, struggling  men.  The  pursuit  lasted  almost  to  tha 
walls  of  the  city.  Then  the  guns  on  the  wall  opened  a 
heavy  fire,  and  the  cavalry  fell  back  as  the  balls  plunged 
in  among  them. 

There  were  but  two  or  three  hurt,  but  among  them 
was  Lieutenant  Quentin  Battye,  a  most  gallant  young 
officer,  a  mere  lad,  but  a  general  favorite  alike  with  other 
officers  and  the  men.  Struck  by  a  round  shot  in  tha 
body,  his  case  was  hopeless  from  the  first ;  he  kept  up  hi.s 
spirits  to  the  last,  and  said,  with  a  smile,  to  an  old 
school-friend  who  came  in  to  bid  him  farewell : 

"Well,  old  fellow,  Dulce  et  decorum  est  pro  patrid 
mori,  and  you  see  it's  my  case." 

Such  was  the  spirit  which  animated  every  officer  and 
man  of  the  little  army  before  Delhi ;  and  it  is  no  wonder 
that,  day  after  day,  and  week  after  week,  they  were  able 
to  repulse  the  furious  attacks  of  the  ever-increasing 
enemy. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  US 

On  the  9th,  10th  and  11th  fresh  sorties  were  made. 
Before  daybreak  on  the  13th  a  large  force  of  the  muti- 
neers came  out  quietly  and  worked  their  way  round  to  tha 
left,  and  just  as  it  began  to  be  light,  made  a  furious 
assault  on  the  company  of  the  Seventy-fifth  who  were 
holding  the  flagstaff  battery-  Warrener's  Horse  were 
encamped  on  the  old  parade  ground,  immediately  behind 
and  below  the  flagstaff,  and  the  men  leaped  from  their 
beds  on  hearing  this  outburst  of  firing  close  to  them. 

There  was  a  confused  shouting,  and  then  the  major's 
voice  was  heard  above  the  din. 

"Breeches  and  boots,  revolvers  and  swords,  nothing 
else.  Quick,  lads ;  fall  in  on  foot.  We  must  save  tho 
battery  at  all  hazards." 

In  a  few  seconds  the  men  came  rushing  out,  hastily- 
buckling  on  their  belts,  with  their  pouches  of  revolver 
ammunition,  and  fell  into  rank;  and  in  less  than  two 
minutes  from  the  sound  of  the  first  shot  the  whole  were 
dashing  up  the  steep  ascent  to  the  battery,  where  the 
tremendous  musketry  fire  told  them  how  hardly  the 
Seventy-fifth  were  pressed. 

"Keep  line,  lads;  steady!"  shouted  the  major  as  they 
Beared  the  crest.  "Now  get  ready  for  a  charge;  go  right 
at  them.  Don't  fire  a  shot  till  you  are  within  five  paces, 
then  give  them  three  barrels  of  your  revolvers ;  then  at 
them  with  the  sword ;  and  keep  your  other  shots  in  case 
you  are  pressed.     Hurrah!" 

With  a  thundering  cheer  the  gallant  little  band  fell  on 
the  mutineers,  many  of  whom  had  already  made  their 
way  into^the  battery,  where  the  handful  of  white  troops 
were  defending  themselves  with  desperation.  Struck 
with  terror  and  surprise  at  this  sudden  attack,  and  by 
the  shower  of  pistol  bullets  .which  swept  among  them, 
the  enemy  wavered  and  broke  at  the  fierce  onslaught 


514  IW  TIMES  OF  PERU. 

sword  in  hand,  of  these  new  foes;  while  the  Seventy* 
fifth,  raising  a  shout  of  joy  at  the  arrival  of  their 
friends,  took  the  offensive,  swept  before  them  the  muti- 
neers who  had  made  their  way  into  the  battery,  and  joining 
the  irregulars,  drove  the  mutineers,  astounded  and  panic- 
stricken  at  the  fierceness  of  the  assault,  pell-mell  befora 
them  down  the  hill. 

The  reinforcements  had  arrived  but  just  in  time,  for 
Captain  Knox,  who  commanded  at  this  post,  and  nearly 
half  his  force,  had  fallen  before  Major  Warrener's  band 
had  come  up  to  their  aid.  The  next  day,  and  the  next, 
and  the  next,  the  sorties  from  the  city  were  repeated, 
with  ever-increasing  force  and  fury,  each  fresh  body  of 
mutineers  who  came  into  the  city  being  required  to 
testify  their  loyalty  to  the  emperor  by  heading  the  attack 
on  his  foes.  Desperately  the  little  British  force  had  to 
fight  to  maintain  their  position,  and  their  losses  were  so 
serious,  the  number  of  their  enemies  so  large,  so  rapidly 
increasing,  that  it  was  clear  to  all  that  the  most  prodigi- 
ous efforts  would  be  necessary  to  enable  them  to  hold  on 
until  reinforcements  arrived,  and  that  all  idea  of  an  early 
capture  of  the  city  must  be  abandoned. 

Warrener's  Horse,  however,  had  no  share  in  these 
struggles,  for  on  the  day  after  the  fight  at  the  flagstaff  a 
report  spread  among  them  that  they  were  again  to  start 
upon  an  expedition.  A  note  had  been  brought  in  by  a 
native  to  the  effect  that  several  English  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen were  prisoners  at  the  fortress  of  Bithri,  in  Oude, 
some  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Delhi.  The  instruc- 
tions given  to  Major  Warrener  were  that  he  was  to 
obtain  their  release  by  fair  means  if  possible ;  if  not,  to 
carry  the  place  and  release  them,  if  it  appeared  practi- 
cable to  do  so  with  his  small  force ;  that  he  was  then  to 
press  on  to  Cawnpore.     Communications  had  ceased  with 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL,  r  Ho 

Sir  H.  Wheeler,  the  officer  in  command  there;  but  it  was 
not  known  whether  he  was  actually  besieged,  or  whether 
it  was  merely  a  severance  of  the  telegraph  wire.  If  he 
could  join  Sir  H.  Wheeler  he  was  to  do  so ;  if  not  he  was 
to  make  his  way  on  to  form  part  of  the  force  which  Gen- 
eral Havelock  was  collecting  at  Allahabad  for  an  advance 
to  Cawnpore  and  Lucknow.  It  would  be  a  long  and 
perilous  march,  but  the  troops  were  admirably  mounted, 
and  as  they  would  have  the  choice  of  routes  open  to  them, 
and  would  travel  fast,  it  was  thought  that  they  might 
hope  to  get  through  in  safety,  and  their  aid  would  be 
valuable  either  to  Sir  H.  Wheeler  or  to  General  Havelock. 

It  was  a  lovely  moonlight  evening  when  they  started. 
During  their  stay  at  Delhi  they  had,  profiting  by  their 
previous  expedition,  got  rid  of  every  article  of  accouter- 
ment  that  could  make  a  noise.  Wooden  scabbards  had 
taken  the  place  of  steel,  and  these  were  covered  in  flan- 
nel, to  prevent  rattle  should  they  strike  against  a  stirrup. 
The  water-bottles  were  similarly  cased  in  flannel,  and  the 
rings  and  chains  of  the  bits  in  leather.  Nothing  save 
the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs  was  to  be  heard  as  they 
inarched,  and  even  these  were  muffled  by  the  deep  dust 
that  lay  on  the  road.  Each  man,  moreover,  carried  four 
leathern  shoes  for  his  horse,  with  lacings  for  fastening 
them.  Under  the  guidance  of  two  natives  the  troop 
made  their  first  six  stages  without  the  slightest  adventure. 
The  country  was  flat,  and  the  villages  sparsely  scattered. 
The  barking  of  the  dogs  brought  a  few  villagers  to  their 
doors,  but  in  those  troubled  times  the  advantages  of  non- 
interference were  obvious,  and  the  peasant  population  in 
general  asked  nothing  better  than  to  be  let  alone. 

The  troop  always  marched  by  night  and  rested  by  day 
lit  villages  at  a  short  distance  from  the  main  road.  "Upon 
B  long  march  like  that  before  them  it  would  have  been 


213  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

impossible  to  maintain  secrecy  by  resting  in  woocl3, 
Pood  for  men  and  liorses  was  requisite,  and  this  could 
only  be  obtained  in  villages.  So  far  no  difficulty  had 
been  met  with.  The  head  men  of  the  villages  willingly 
provided  provender  for  the  horses,  while  flour,  milk,  eggs, 
and  fowls  were  forthcoming  in  sufficient  quantities  for 
the  men,  everything  being  strictly  paid  for. 

The  last  night-march  was  as  successful  as  the  preced- 
ing, and  crossing  the  river  by  a  bridge  at  Banat,  they 
halted  some  five  miles  from  the  fortified  house,  or  castle, 
which  was  the  immediate  object  of  their  expedition. 
They  were  now  in  Oude,  and  had,  since  crossing  the 
river,  avoided  the  villages  as  much  as  possible,  for  in 
this  province  these  are  little  fortresses.  Each  is  strongly 
walled  and  guarded,  and  petty  wars  and  feuds  are  com- 
mon occurrences.  The  people  are  warlike,  and  used  to 
arms,  and  without  artillery  even  a  small  village  could  nofc 
be  carried  without  considerable  loss.  The  troops  there- 
fore had  made  circuits  round  the  villages,  and  bivouacked 
at  the  end  of  their  march  in  a  wood,  having  brought  with 
them  a  supply  of  food  and  grain  from  the  village  where 
they  had  halted  on  the  previous  day.  They  had  not 
slept  many  hours  when  one  of  the  vedettes  came  in  to  say 
that  there  was  a  sound  of  beating  of  drums  in  a  large 
village  not  far  away,  and  that  bodies  of  peasants  had 
arrived  from  other  villages,  and  that  he  believed  an  attack 
was  about  to  take  place. 

Major  "Warrener  at  once  took  his  measures  for  defense. 
The  first  troop  were  to  defend  the  front  of  their  position 
with  their  carbines  against  an  attack.  The  second  troop 
were  to  move  round  to  the  extreme  end  of  the  tope,  were 
to  mount  there,  and  when  the  enemy  began  to  waver 
before  the  musketry  fire,  were  to  sweep  round  and  take 
them  in  flank.     Major  "Warrener  himself  took   command 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  Hy 

of  the  dismounted  troop,  and  posted  the  men  along 
behind  a  bank  with  a  hedge,  a  short  distance  in  front  of 
the  trees.  Then,  each  man  knowing  his  place,  they  fell 
back  out  of  the  scorching  sunshine  to  the  shade  of  the 
trees  and  waited.  In  half  an  hour  a  loud  drumming  was 
heard,  and  a  motley  body,  two  or  three  thousand  strong, 
of  peasants  in  a  confused  mass,  with  a  tattered  banner  or 
two,  made  their  appearance. 

The  "Avengers,"  as  Warrener's  Horse  called  them- 
selves, took  their  places  behind  the  bank  and  quietly 
awaited  the  attack.  The  enemy  opened  a  heavy  fire,  yet 
at  a  long  distance.  "Answer  with  a  shot  or  two  occa- 
sionally," Major  Warrener  had  ordered,  "as  they  will 
then  aim  at  the  bank  instead  of  firing  into  the  wood. 
We  don't  want  the  horses  hurt." 

Slowly  and  steadily  the  rifled  carbines  spoke  out  in 
answer  to  the  heavy  fire  opened  on  the  bank,  and  as 
almost  every  man  of  Warrener's  Horse  was  a  sportsman 
and  a  good  shot,  very  few  shots  were  thrown  away.  The 
enemy  beat  their  drums  more  and  more  loudly,  and 
shouted  vociferously  as  they  advanced.  When  they  were 
within  three  hundred  yards  Major  Warrener  gave  the 
word : 

"Fire  fast,  but  don't  throw  away  a  shot." 

Astonished  at  the  accuracy  and  deadliness  of  the  fira 
which  was  poured  into  them  by  their  still  invisible  foe, 
the  enemy  wavered.  Their  leaders,  shouting  loudly  and 
exposing  themselves  bravely  in  front,  called  them  on,  as 
slowly  and  with  heavy  loss  the  main  body  arrived  with- 
in a  hundred  yards  of  the  hedge.  Those  in  front  were, 
however,  falling  so  fast  that  no  efforts  of  their  leaders 
could  get  them  to  advance  further,  and  already  a  retro- 
grade movement  had  begun,  when  there  was  a  yell  of 
fear,  as  the  mounted  troop,  hitherto  unnoticed,  charged 
furiously  down  upon  their  flank. 


318  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Empty  your  rifles,  and  then  to  horse,"  shouted 
Major  Warrener;  and  the  men  dashed  back  through  the 
tope  to  the  spot  in  the  rear  where  four  of  their  number 
were  mounting  guard  over  the  horses. 

In  three  minutes  they  were  back  again  on  the  plain, 
but  the  fight  was  over.  The  enemy,  in  scattered  bodies, 
were  in  full  flight,  and  the  cavalry  dashing  through 
them,  were  cutting  them  down  or  emptying  their  re- 
volvers among  them. 

"Make  for  the  village,"  Major  Warrener  said. 
"Gallop!" 

At  full  speed  the  troop  dashed  across  the  plain  to  the 
village,  whose  gate  they  reached  just  as  a  large  body  of 
the  fugitives  were  arriving.  These  gave  a  yell  as  this 
fresh  body  of  horsemen  fell  upon  them ;  a  few  tried  to 
enter  the  gates  of  the  village,  but  the  main  body  scat- 
tered again  in  flight.  The  cavalry  dashed  in  through  the 
gates  and  sabered  some  men  who  were  trying  to  close 
them.  A  few  shots  were  fired  inside,  but  resistance  was 
Boon  over,  and  the  male  inhabitants  who  remained 
dropped  over  the  wall  and  sought  refuge  in  flight.  A 
bugle  call  now  summoned  the  other  troop  from  pursuit, 
and  the  women  and  children  being  at  once,  without  harm 
or  indignity,  turned  out  of  the  village,  the  conquerors 
took  possession. 

"This  will  be  our  headquarters  for  a  day  or  two,"  the 
major  said,  as  the  troop  gathered  round  him;  "there  is 
an  abundance  of  food  for  horse  and  man,  and  we  could 
Btand  a  siege  if  necessary. ' ' 

Warrener's  Horse  was  the  happiest  of  military  bodies. 
On  duty  the  discipline  was  severe,  and  obedience  prompt 
and  ready.  Off  duty,  there  was,  as  among  the  members 
of  a  regimental  mess,  no  longer  any  marked  distinction 
of  rank ;  all  were  officers  and  gentlemen,   good  fellows 


"^  W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  119 

and  good  comrades.  The  best  house  in  the  village  was 
set  aside  for  Major  Warrener,  and  the  rest  of  the  squad- 
ron dispersed  in  the  village,  quartering  themselves  in 
parties  of  threes  and  fours  among  the  cleanest-looking  of 
the  huts.  Eight  men  were  at  once  put  on  sentry  on  the 
walls,  two  on  each  side.  Their  horses  were  first  looked 
to,  fed  and  watered,  and  soon  the  village  assumed  as 
quiet  an  aspect  as  if  the  sounds  of  war  had  never  been 
heard  in  the  land.  At  dark  all  was  life  and  animation. 
A  dozen  great  fires  blazed  in  the  little  square  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  village,  and  here  the  men  fried  their  chickens, 
or,  scraping  out  a  quantity  of  red-hot  embers,  baked  their 
chupatties,  with  much  laughter  and  noise.  | 

Then  there  was  comparative  quiet,  the  sentries  on  the 
walls  were  trebled  and  outposts  placed  at  a  couple  «£ 
hundred  yards  beyond  the  gates.  Men  lighted  their 
pipes  and  chatted  round  the  fires,  while  Major  Warrener 
and  a  dozen  of  the  oldest  and  most  experienced  of  hia 
comrades  sat  together  and  discussed  the  best  course  to 
foe  pursued. 


I2J  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  VUL 

A    DESPERATE    DEFENSE. 

''Well,  major,  what  do  you  think  of  the  situation ?" 
one  of  the  Senior  captains  asked,  after  the  pipes  had 
begun  to  draw. 

"It  looks  rather  bad,  Crawshay.  There's  no  disguis- 
ing the  fact.  We  shall  have  the  country  up  in  force ; 
they  will  swarm  out  like  wasps  from  every  village,  and 
by  to-morrow  night  we  shall  have  at  the  very  least  ten 
thousand  of  them  round  us.  Against  a  moderate  force 
we  could  defend  the  village ;  but  it  is  a  good-sized  place, 
and  we  have  only  twenty-five  men  for  each  wall,  and 
a  couple  of  hundred  would  be  none  too  little. " 

"But  surely,  major,  we  might  prevent  their  scaling 
the  walls.  It  is  not  likely  that  they  would  attack  on  all 
sides  at  once,  and  without  artillery  they  could  do  little. ' ' 

"They  will  have  artillery,"  said  Captain  Wilkins,  an 
officer  who  had  served  for  some  time  in  Oude.  "These 
talookdars  have  all  got  artillery.  They  were  ordered  to 
give  it  up,  and  a  good  many  old  guns  were  sent  in ;  but 
there  is  not  one  of  these  fellows  who  cannot  bring  a  bat- 
tery at  the  very  least  into  the  field.  By  to-morrow  night, 
or  at  the  latest  next  day,  we  may  have  some  thirty  or 
forty  pieces  of  artillery  round  this  place." 

"It  will  not  do  to  be  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap  here," 
Major  Warrener  said.  "For  to-night  it  is  a  shelter,  after 
that  it  would  be  a  trap.     But  about  Bithri ;  I  don't  lika 


I 


mm 


m 

1 


^ 


'K  ;-/.  -  ■ 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  \l± 

to  give  up  the  idea  of  rescuing  our  country-people  there. 
Still,  although  the  matter  has  been  left  to  my  discretion, 
1  cannot  risk  losing  the  whole  squadron."  i 

"What  is  the  castle  like,  Warrener?  have  you  heard?" 
Captain  Crawshay  asked.  j 

"A  square  building,  with  high  walls,  and  a  deep  moat. 
Beyond  the  moat  is  another  wall  with  a  strong  outwork 
and  gate.  There  are  believed  to  be  a  couple  of  guns  oa 
the  outwork,  and  eight  on  the  inner  wall." 

"Do  you  think  they  will  attack  us  to-morrow,  Wilkins? 
You  know  these  Oude  fellows. ' ' 

"They  will  muster  strong,  no  doubt,  and  be  prepared 
to  attack  us  if  we  sally  out ;  but  I  should  think  if  we  re- 
main quiet  they  would  wait  till  next  day  so  as  to  gather 
as  many  men  and  guns  as  possible." 

"Then  you  think  we  ought  to  be  out  of  this  early  ?'* 
Major  Warrener  asked. 

"I  don't  say  we  ought  to  be,  major;  I  only  say  we 
Ought  to  be  if  we  intend  to  get  off  without  having  to  fighu 
our  way  through  them.  I  suppose  the  Bithri  man  is  sura 
to  come  out  to  attack  us?"  >' 

"Oh,  no  doubt,"  Major  Warrener  answered;  "he  has 
openly  declared  against  us." 

"The  thing  would  be  to  pop  into  his  place,  just  as  he 
is  thinking  of  popping  in  here, ' '  Captain  Dunlop  said, 
laughing. 

"That's  a  good  idea,  Dunlop — a  capital  idea,  if  it 
could  be  carried  out.     The  question  is,  is  it  possible?" 

Then  gradually  the  plan  was  elaborated,  until  it  finally 
was  definitely  arranged  as  afterward  ^carried  into  execu- 
tion. 

The  night  passed  quietly,  but  fires  could  be  seen  blaz- 
ing in  many  directions  over  the  plain,  and  occasionally  a 
distant  sound  of  drums,  or  a  wild  shout,  came  faintly  oa 


j%%  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

the  still  air.  Next  morning  Major  Warrener  started 
early,  with  half  a  troop,  to  reconnoiter  the  country 
toward  Bithri.  The  party  got  to  a  spot  within  two  miles 
of  the  castle,  and  had  a  look  at  it  and  its  surroundings, 
and  were  able  to  discern  that  a  great  deal  of  bustle  was 
going  on  around  it,  and  that  considerable  numbers  of 
horse  and  footmen  were  gathered  near  the  gate.  Then 
they  rode  rapidly  back  again,  having  to  run  the  gauntlet 
cf  several  bodies  of  natives  who  fired  at  them.  One  party 
Indeed  had  already  placed  themselves  on  the  road,  about 
a  mile  from  the  village ;  but  Captain  Kent,  seeing  with 
bis  glass  what  was  going  on,  rode  out  with  his  troop  to 
nieet  the  little  reconnoitering  party,  and  the  enemy,  fear- 
ing cavalry  on  the  open,  fell  back  after  a  scattering  fire, 
but  not  quickly  enough  to  prevent  the  horse  from  cutting 
up  their  rear  somewhat  severely. 

At  eight  o'clock  large  bodies  of  men  could  be  seen  ap- 
proaching the  village.  These,  when  they  arrived  within 
gunshot,  discharged  their  long  matchlocks  at  the  walls, 
■with  much  shouting  and  gesticulation.  Major  Warren- 
er's  order  was  that  not  a  shot  should,  be  returned,  as  it 
was  advisable  to  keep  them  in  ignorance  as  to  the  long 
range  of  the  Enfield  carbine. 

" Let  all  get  their  breakfasts, "  he  said,  "and  let  the 
jhorses  be  well  groomed  and  attended  to ;  we  shall  want 
all  their  speed  to-morrow." 

At  eleven  some  elephants,  surrounded  hy  a  large  body 
©f  horse,  could  be  seen  across  the  plain. 

"Here  come  some  of  the  talookdars, "  Captain  Wilking 
said.  "I  suspect  those  elephants  are  dragging  guns 
foe-hind  them. ' ' 

"Yes,  the  fun  will  soon  begin  now, "  Captain  Dunlcp 
answered.  "Now,  Dick,"  he  went  on  to  young  War- 
&°eaer,  "you  are  going  to  see  a  little  native  artillery  pra 3- 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  123 

tice.  These  fellows  are  not  like  the  Delhi  pandies,  who 
©re  artillery  men  trained  by  ourselves ;  here  you  will  see 
the  real  genuine  native  product ;  and  as  the  manufacture  of 
shell  is  in  its  infancy,  and  as  the  shot  seldom  fits  the  gun 
within  half  an  inch,  or  even  an  inch,  you  will  see  some- 
thing erratic.  They  may  knock  holes  in  the  wall,  but  it 
will  take  them  a  long  time  to  cut  enough  holes  near  each 
other  to  [make  a  breach.  There,  do  you  see?  there  are 
another  lot  of  elephants  and  troops  coming  from  the  left. 
We  shall  have  the  whole  countryside  here  before  long. 
Ah !  that's  just  as  we  expected ;  they  are  going  to  take  up 
their  position  on  that  rising  ground,  which  you  measured 
this  morning,  and  found  to  be  just  five  hundred  yards 
off.  Our  carbines  make  very  decent  practice  at  that  dis- 
tance, and  you  will  see  we  shall  astonish  them  presently." 

The  two  forces  with  elephants  reached  the  rising 
ground  at  the  same  time,  and  there  was  great  waving  of 
flags,  letting  off  of  muskets,  and  beating  of  drums,  while 
the  multitude  of  footmen  cheered  and  danced. 

By  this  time  the  greater  portion  of  the  little  garrison 
were  gathered  behind  the  wall.  This  was  some  two  feet 
thick,  of  rough  sun-dried  bricks  and  mud.  It  was  about 
fourteen  feet  high.  Against  it  behind  was  thrown  up  a 
bank  of  earth  five  feet  high  and  in  the  wall  were  loopholes, 
four  feet  above  the  bank.  At  the  corners  of  the  walls, 
and  at  intervals  along  them,  were  little  towers,  each  capa- 
ble of  holding  about  four  men,  who  could  fire  over  the 
top  of  the  walls.  In  these  towers,  and  at  the  loopholes, 
Major  "Warrener  placed  twenty  of  his  best  shots.  There 
was  a  great  deal  of  moving  about  on  the  rising  ground, 
then  the  footmen  cleared  away  in  front,  and  most  of  the 
elephants  withdrew,  and  then  were  seen  ten  guns  ranged 
side  by  side.  Close  behind  them  were  two  elephants, 
with  gaudy  trappings,  while  others,  less  brilliantly 
arrayed,  stood  further  back. 


124  ET  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Major  "Warrener  was  in  one  of  the  little  towers,  wiiit 
Lis  second  in  command,  and  his  two  sons  to  act  as  hi3 
orderlies. 

"Run,  boys,  and  tell  the  men  in  the  other  towers  to 
fire  at  the  howdahs#of  the  chief  elephants ;  let  the  rest  of 
them  fire  at  the  artillery.  Tell  them  to  take  good  aim 
and  fire  a  volley ;  I  will  give  the  word.  Make  haste,  I 
want  first  shot ;  that  will  hurry  them,  and  they  will  fira 
wild." 

The  boys  started  at  a  run  one  each  way,  and  in  a 
minute  the  instructions  were  given.  The  major  glanced 
down,  saw  that  every  carbine  was  leveled,  and  gave  tha 
word. 

<6Eire!" 

The  sound  of  the  volley  was  answered  in  a  few  seconds 
by  a  yell  of  dismay  from  the  enemy.  One  of  the  stata 
elephants  threw  up  its  trunk  and  started  at  a  wild  gallop 
across  the  plain,  and  a  man  was  seen  to  fall  from  tha 
howdah  as  it  started.  There  was  also  confusion  visible 
in  the  howdahs  of  the  other  elephants.  Several  men 
dropped  at  the  guns ;  some,  surprised  and  startled,  fired 
wildly,  most  of  the  balls  going  high  over  the  village; 
while  others,  whose  loading  was  not  yet  complete,  ran 
back  from  the  guns.  Only  one  ball  hit  the  wall,  and 
made  a  ragged  hole  of  a  foot  in  diameter. 

"That's  sickened  them  for  the  present,"  Captain  Dun- 
lop  said.  "I  espect  they'll  do  nothing  now  till  it  gets  a 
bit  cooler,  for  even  a  nigger  could  hardly  stand  this. 
Ah,  we  are  going  to  give  them  another  volley,  this  tima 
a  stronger  one. ' ' 

Fifty  carbines  spoke  out  this  time,  and  the  wildest 
confusion  was  caused  among  the  elephants  and  footmen, 
who  were  now  trying  to  drag  the  guns  back.  Again,  a 
third  volley,  and  then  the  garrison  were  dismissed  frosa 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  125 

their  posts,  and  told  to  lie  down  and  keep  cool  till 
■wanted   again. 

Half  an  hour  later  another  large  train  of  elephants,  ten 
of  them  with  guns,  came  from  the  direction  of  Bithri, 
and  proceeded  to  a  tope  at  about  a  mile  from  the  village. 
There  the  elephants  of  the  first  comers  had  gathered  after 
the  stampede,  and  presently  a  great  tent  was  raised  in 
front  of  the  tope. 

"Bithri  is  going  to  do  it  in  style,"  Dick  laughed  to 
his  brother.  "I  shouldn't  mind  some  iced  sherbet  at 
present,  if  he  has  got  any  to  spare. ' ' 

"Look!  Dick,  there  is  a  movement;  they  are  getting 
the  guns  in  position  on  that  knoll  a  little  to  the  right, 
and  a  hundred  yards  or  so  in  front  of  their  tent. ' ' 

Dick  took  the  field  glass  which  his  brother  handed 
Mm. 

"Yes,  we  shall  have  a  salute  presently;  but  they  won't 
breach  the  wall  this  afternoon  at  that  distance." 

Twenty  guns  opened  fire  upon  the  village,  and  the  shot 
fiew  overhead,  or  buried  themselves  in  the  ground  in 
front,  or  came  with  heavy  thuds  against  the  wall,  or,  in 
some  instances,  crashed  into  [the  upper  parts  of  the 
houses.  After  an  hour's  firing  it  slackened  a  little,  and 
finally  died  out,  for  the  heat  was  tremendous. 

At  three  o'clock  there  was  a  move  again;  ten  of  the 
guns  were  brought  forward  to  a  point  about  a  thousand 
yards  from  the  wall,  while  ten  others  were  taken  round 
and  placed  on  the  road  at  about  the  same  distance,  so  as 
to  command  the  gate.  Again  the  fire  opened,  and  this 
time  more  effectually.  Again  the  men  were  called  to  the 
loopholes.  The  greater  portion  of  them  were  armed,  not 
with  the  government  carbines,  but  with  sporting  rifles, 
shortened  so  as  to  be  carried  as  carbines ;  and  although 
none  of  the  weapons  were  sighted  for  more  than  six  hxmp 


f%Q  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

died  yards,  all  with  sufficient  elevation  could  send  balls 
far  beyond  tliat  distance.  Ten  of  the  best-armed  men 
were  told  off  against  each  battery  of  artillery,  and  a  slow, 
steady  fire  was  opened.  It  was  effective,  for  with  the 
field  glasses  men  could  be  seen  to  fall  frequently  at  the 
guns,  and  the  fire  became  more  hurried,  but  much  wilder 
and  even  less  accurate,  than  it  had  hitherto  been.  The 
rest  of  the  men,  with  the  exception  of  ten  told  off  for 
special  duty,  were  dispersed  round  the  walls,  to  check 
the  advance  of  the  footmen,  who  crept  daringly  to  within, 
a  short  distance,  and  kept  up  a  rolling  fire  around  the 
village. 

At  five  o'clock  half  of  the  men  were  taken  off  the  walls, 
and  several  were  set  to  build  a  wall  four  feet  high,  in  a 
semicircle,  just  inside  the  gate,  which  had  been  struck 
by  several  shots,  and  showed  signs  of  yielding.  Two  or 
three  of  the  nearest  huts  were  demolished  rapidly,  there 
being  plenty  of  native  tools  in  the  village,  and  a  rough- 
wall  was  constructed  of  the  materials ;  a  trench  five  f eefc 
deep  and  eight  feet  wide  was  simultaneously  dug  across 
the  entrance.  At  six  o'clock,  just  as  the  wall  was  fin- 
ished, an  unlucky  shot  struck  one  of  the  doorposts,  and 
the  gate  fell,  dragging  the  other  post  with  it.  A  distant 
yell  of  triumph  came  through  the  air. 

The  gates  fell  partly  across  the  trench.  "Now,  lad3, 
push  them  back  a  bit  if  you  can ;  if  not,  knock  the  parfc 
over  the  ditch  to  pieces,  it's  half-smashed  already." 

It  was  easier  to  knock  the  gate,  already  splintered  with 
shot,  to  pieces  than  to  remove  it. 

"Now,  Dunlop,  fetch  one  of  those  powder-bags  we 
brought  for  blowing  up  the  gates;  put  it  in  the  trench, 
with  a  long  train.  You  attend  to  the  train  and  when 
I  give  the  word,  fire  it.  Bring  up  those  two  big  pots  of 
boiling  water   to  the  gate-towers.     Captain  Kent,  thirty 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  12? 

men  of  your  troop  will  hold  the  other  three  walls ;  but  if 
you  hear  my  dog-whistle,  every  man  is  to  leave  his  post 
and  come  on  here  at  a  run.  Thirty  men  more  will  man 
this  front  wall  and  towers.  They  are  to  direct  their  fire 
to  check  the  crowd  pushing  forward  behind  those  im- 
mediately assaulting.  The  remaining  forty  will  fire 
through  the  loopholes  as  long  as  possible,  and  will  then 
form  round  the  breastwork  and  hold  it  to  the  last.  One 
man  in  each  gate-tower,  when  the  enemy  reach  the  gate, 
will  lay  down  his  carbine  and  attend  to  the  boiling  water. 
Let  them  each  have  a  small  pot  as  a  ladle.  But  let  them 
throw  the  water  on  those  pressing  toward  the  gate,  not 
on  those  who  have  reached  it.     Those  are  our  affair. ' ' 

In  five  minutes  every  man  was  at  his  post,  and  a  sharp 
fire  from  the  seventy  men  along  the  front  wall  opened 
upon  the  masses  of  the  enemy,  who  came  swarming 
toward  the  gate.  The  effect  on  the  crowd,  many  thou- 
sands strong,  was  very  severe,  for  each  shot  told ;  but 
the  Mussulmans  of  Oude  are  courageous,  and  the  rush 
toward  the  gate  continued.  Fast  as  those  in  front  fell 
the  gaps  were  imperceptible  in  the  swarming  crowd. 
Major  Warrener's  band  of  forty  men  were  called  away 
from  the  loopholes  and  were  drawn  up  behind  the  ditch ; 
and  as  the  head  of  the  assaulting  crowd  neared  the  gate 
volley  after  volley  rang  out,  and  swept  away  the  leaders, 
foremost  among  whom  were  a  number  of  Sepoys,  who, 
when  their  regiments  mutinied,  had  returned  to  their 
homes,  and  now  headed  the  peasantry  in  their  attack 
upon  the  British  force.  When  the  dense  mass  arrived 
within  thirty  yards  of  the  gate  Major  Warrener  gave  tha 
word  and  a  retreat  was  made  behind  the  breastwork, 
On,  with  wild  shouts,  came  the  assailants ;  the  first  few 
saw  the  trench  and  leaped  it ;  those  who  followed  fell  in, 
until  the  trench  was  full ;  then  the  crowd  swept  in  un* 


323  *2V  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

checked.  The  defenders  had  laid  by  their  carbines  now, 
and  had  drawn  their  revolvers.  They  were  divided  into 
two  lines,  who  were  alternately  to  take  place  in  front  and 
fire,  while  those  behind  loaded  their  revolvers.  The  din, 
as  the  circle  inclosed  by  the  low  wall  filled  with  the 
asailants,  was  prodigious;  the  sharp  incessant  crack  of 
the  revolver ;  the  roll  of  musketry  from  the  walls ;  the 
yells  of  the  enemy ;  the  shrieks  which  occasionally  rose 
outside  the  gate  as  the  men  in  the  towers  scattered  the 
boiling  water  broadcast  over  them,  formed  a  chaos. 
With  the  fury  and  despair  of  cornered  wild  beasts,  the 
enemy  fought,  striving  to  get  over  the  wall  which  so  un- 
expectedly barred  their  way;  but  their  very  numbers, 
and  the  pressure  from  behind,  hampered  their  efforts. 

If  a  man  in  the  front  line  of  defenders  had  emptied  his 
revolver  before  the  one  behind  him  had  reloaded  he  held 
his  place  with  the  sword. 

"The  wall's  giving  from  the  pressure ! "  Dick  exclaimed 
to  his  father ;  and  the  latter  put  his  whistle  to  his  lips, 
and  the  sound  rang  out  shrill  and  high  above  the  uproar. 

A  minute  later  the  front  of  the  wall  tottered  and  fell. 
Then  Major  Warrener  held  up  his  hand,  and  Captain 
Dunlop,  who  had  stood  all  the  time  quietly  watching 
him,  fired  the  train.  A  thundering  explosion,  a  flight  of 
bodies  and  fragments  of  bodies  through  the  air,  a  yell  of 
terror  from  the  enemy,  and  then,  as  those  already  rush- 
ing triumphantly  through  the  breach  stood  paralyzed, 
the  British  fell  upon  them  sword  in  hand ;  the  men  from 
the  other  walls  came  rushing  up,  eager  to  take  their  part 
in  the  fray,  and  the  enemy  inside  the  gate  were  either 
cut  down  or  driven  headlong  through  it! 

The  crowd  beyond,  already  shaken  by  the  murderoua 
fire  that  the  party  on  the  walls  kept  up  unceasingly  upon 
them,  while  they  stood  unable  to  move  from  the  jam  la 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  129 

front,  had  recoiled  through  their  whole  mass  at  the  ex- 
plosion, and  the  eight  of  the  handful  of  their  comrades 
ilying  through  the  gate  completed  the  effect.  "With  yells 
of  rage  and  discomfiture  each  man  turned  and  fled,  while 
the  defenders  of  the  gateway  passed  out  and  joined  their 
fire  to  that  of  their  comrades  above  on  the  flying  foe. 

"Thank  God,  it  is  all  over!"  Major  Warren er  said; 
"but  it  has  been  hot  while  it  lasted.  Have  we  had  many 
casualties?" 

The  roll  was  soon  called,  and  it  was  found  that  the 
besieged  had  escaped  marvelously.  One  young  fellow, 
a  civil  servant,  had  been  shot  through  the  head  by  a 
stray  ball  entering  the  loophole  through  which  he  was 
firing.  Thirteen  of  the  defenders  of  the  gateway  were 
wounded  with  pistol  shots  or  with  sword  cuts ;  but  none 
of  the  injuries  were  of  a  serious  character. 

It  was  now  rapidly  becoming  dark,  and  Major  Warrener 
mounted  one  of  the  towers  to  have  a  last  look. 

The  enemy  had  rallied  at  a  distance  from  the  walls,  and 
two  fresh  bodies  of  troops,  with  elephants,  were  to  be 
seen  approaching  from  the  distance. 

"That  is  all  right,"  he  said.  "They  will  wait  and 
renew  the  attack  to-morrow." 

An  hour  afterward  it  was  night.  The  moon  had  not 
risen  yet,  and  Major  Warrener  had  a  huge  bonfire  lighted 
outside  the  gate,  with  posts  and  solid  beams  from  the 
fallen  gates  and  from  the  houses. 

"That  will  burn  for  hours,"  he  said,  "quite  long 
enough  for  our  purpose. ' ' 

Lights  could  be  seen  scattered  all  over  the  side  of  the 
plain  on  which  the  tents  were  erected,  some  of  them 
coming  up  comparatively  close  to  the  walls.  On  the  road 
in  front,  but  far  enough  to  be  well  beyond  the  light  of 
the  fire,  voices  could  be  heard,  and  occasionally  a  shout 


ISO  *&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

that  they  would  finish  with  the  infidel  dogs  to-morrow 
rose  on  the  air.  Evidently  by  the  low  buzz  of  talk  there 
"were  a  large  number  here,  and  probably  the  guns  had 
been  brought  closer  to  check  any  attempt  on  the  part  of 
the  little  garrison  to  dash  through  their  enemies.  The 
blazing  fire,  however,  throwing  as  it  did  a  bright  light 
upon  the  empty  gateway,  through  which  they  must  pass, 
chowed  that  at  present,  at  least,  the  besieged  had  no  idea 
of  making  their  escape. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  whole  of  the  garrison  stood  to  their 
horses.  Not  only  had  their  feet  been  muffled  with  the 
leather  shoes,  but  cloths,  of  which  there  were  plenty  in 
the  village,  had  been  wound  round  them,  until  their  foot- 
falls would,  even  on  the  hardest  road,  have  been  noise- 
less. "Then  Major  Warrener  led  the  way  to  the  spot 
where  ten  men  had  been  at  work  during  the  afternoon. 

At  this  point,  which  was  on  the  side  furthest  from  that 
upon  which  was  the  main  camp  of  the  enemy,  a  clump  of 
trees  and  bushes  grew  close  to  the  wall  outside ;  behind 
them  a  hole  in  the  wall,  wide  enough  and  high  enough 
for  a  horse  to  pass  through  easily,  had  been  made,  and 
the  ditch  behind  had  been  filled  up  with  rubbish.  There 
was  no  word  spoken ;  every  one  had  received  his  orders 
and  knew  what  to  do ;  and  as  silently  as  phantoms  the 
troop  passed  through,  each  man  leading  his  horse.  Once 
outside  the  bushes  they  formed  fours  and  went  forward, 
still  leading  their  horses — as  these  were  less  likely  to 
snort  with  their  masters  at  their  heads. 

Ten  minutes'  walking  convinced  them  that  they  had 
littie  to  fear,  and  that  no  guards  had  been  set  on  that 
side.  It  was  regarded  by  the  enemy  as  so  certain  that 
the  English  would  not  abandon  their  horses  and  fly  on 
foot,  only  to  be  overtaken  and  destroyed  the  next  day, 
that  they  had  only  thought  it  necessary  to  watch  th^ 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  1  131 

\ 

gateway  through   which,  as  they  supposed,  the  British 
must,  if  at  all,  escape  on  horseback. 

The  troop  now  mounted,  and  trotted  quietly  away, 
making  a  wide  detour,  and  then  going  straight  toward 
Bithri.  The  moon  had  risen,  and  when  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  in  front  they  could  see  the  castle,  Major  Warrener, 
who  with  Captain  Kent  and  the  native  guides  was  riding 
ahead,  held  up  his  hand.     The  troop  came  to  a  halt. 

"There  are  some  bullock  carts  just  ahead.  Take  tho 
mufflings  off  your  horse's  feet  and  ride  on  by  yourself," 
he  said  to  one  of  the  native  guides,  "and  see  what  is  in 
the  wagons,  and  where  they  are  going." 

The  man  did  as  ordered,  but  he  needed  no  questions. 
The  wagons  were  full  of  wounded  men  going  to  Bithri. 
He  passed  on  with  a  word  of  greeting,  turned  his  horse 
when  he  reached  a  wood  a  little  in  front  and  allowed 
them  to  pass,  and  then  rode  back  to  the  troop. 

"Four  bullock  carts  full  of  wounded,  sahib." 

"The  very  thing,"  Major  Warrener  exclaimed; 
"nothing  could  be  more  lucky." 

Orders  were  passed  down  the  line  that  they  were  to 
ride  along  until  the  leaders  were  abreast  of  the  first  cart, 
then  to  halt  and  dismount  suddenly.  The  drivers  were 
to  be  seized,  gagged  and  bound.  The  wounded  were  not 
to  be  injured. 

"These  men  are  not  mutinous  Sepoys,  with  their  hands 
red  with  the  blood  of  women,"  Major  Warrener  said; 
"they  are  peasants  who  have  fought  bravely  for  their 
country,  and  have  done  their  duty,  according  to  their 
light." 


t  m  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTEB   IX, 

SAV ED     BT     A      TIGEE. 

The  drivers  of  the  bullock  carts  were  startled  at  tlia 
noiseless  appearance  by  their  side  of  a  body  of  horse- 
men; still  more  startled,  when  suddenly  that  phantom- 
like  troop  halted  and  dismounted.  The  rest  was  like  a 
dream;  in  an  instant  they  were  seized,  bound,  and 
gagged,  and  laid  down  in  the  field  at  some  distance  from 
the  road;  one  of  them,  however,  being  ungagged  and 
asked  a  few  questions  before  being  finally  left.  The 
wounded,  all  past  offering  the  slightest  resistance,  were 
till  more  astonished  when  their  captors,  whom  the  moon- 
light now  showed  to  be  white,  instead  of  cutting  their 
throats  as  they  expected,  lifted  them  tenderly  and  care- 
fully from  the  wagons  and  laid  them  down  on  a  bank  a 
short  distance  off. 

"Swear  by  the  prophet  not  to  call  for  aid  or  to  speak, 
should  any  one  pass  the  road  for  one  hour!"  was  the 
oath  administered  to  each,  and  all  who  were  still  con- 
scious swore  to  observe  it.  Then  with  the  empty  wagons 
the  troops  proceeded  on  their  way.  At  the  last  clump  of 
trees,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  castle,  there  was 
another  halt.  The  troop  dismounted,  led  their  horses 
some  little  distance  from  the  road,  and  tied  them  to  the 
trees.  Twenty  men  remained  as  a  guard.  Four  of  the 
ethers  wrapped  themselves  up  so  as  to  appear  at  a  shor!; 
distance  like  natives,  and  took  their  places  at  the  bill- 


HT  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  jgg 

looks'  heads,  and  the  rest  crowded  into  the  wagons, 
covering  themselves  with  their  cloaks  to  hide  their  lighfe 
uniforms.  Then  the  bullocks  were  again  set  in  motion 
across  the  plain.  So  careless  were  the  garrison  that  they 
were  not  even  challenged  as  they  approached  the  gate  of 
the  outworks,  and  without  a  question  the  gate  swung 
back. 

"More  wounded!"  the  officer  on  guard  said.  "This 
is  the  third  lot.  Those  children  of  Sheitan  must  have 
been  aided  by  their  father.  Ah,  treachery ! "  he  cried, 
as  the  first  cart  moving  into  the  moonlight  beyond  the 
shadow  of  the  gateway,  he  saw  the  white  faces  of  the  sup- 
posed wounded. 

There  was  a  leap  from  the  nearest  driver  upon  him,  and 
he  was  felled  to  the  ground.  But  the  man  at  the  open 
gate  had  heard  the  cry,  and  drew  a  pistol  and  fired  it  be- 
fore he  could  be  reached.  Then  the  British  leaped  from 
the  carts,  and  twenty  of  them  scattered  through  the 
works,  cutting  down  those  who  offered  resistance  and 
disarming  the  rest.  These  were  huddled  into  the  guard- 
room and  five  men  with  cocked  revolvers  placed  at  the 
door  with  orders  to  shoot  them  down  at  the  first  sign  of 
movement. 

The  garrison  in  the  castle  itself  had  been  alarmed  by 
the  shots;  and  shouts  were  heard,  and  loud  orders,  and 
the  sentries  over  the  gate  discharged  their  muskets. 
There  was  little  time  given  them  to  rally,  however ;  for 
Captain  Kent,  with  four  of  his  men,  had,  on  leaping  from 
the  cart,  made  straight  across  the  drawbridge  over  the 
moat  for  the  gateway,  to  which  they  attached  the  petards 
which  they  had  brought  with  them.  Then  they  ran  back 
to  the  main  body,  who  stood  awaiting  the  explosion.  In 
a  few  seconds  it  came,  and  then  with  a  cheer  the  troops 
clashed  across  the  drawbridge,  and  in  through  the  splin- 


134  -EV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

tered  gate.  There  was  scarcely  any  resistance.  Taken 
utterly  by  surprise,  and  being  numerically  inferior  to 
their  assailants — for  nearly  all  the  fighting  men  had  gone 
out  with  their  lord — the  frightened  retainers  tried  to 
hide  themselves  rather  than  to  resist,  and  were  speedily 
disarmed  and  gathered  in  the    courtyard. 

Major  Warrener,  informed  by  the  bullock   drivers  of 
the  quarter  in  which  the  Europeans  were  confined,  fol- 
lowed by  a  dozen  men,  made  his  way  straight  to  it,  and 
had  the  delight  of  being  greeted  by  the  voices  of  his 
countrymen  and  women.      These  were,  as  reported,  three 
officers  and  five  ladies,  all  of  whom   were  absolutely  be- 
wildered by  the  surprise  and  suddenness  of  their  rescue. 
There  was  no  time  for  explanation.     The  stables  were 
ransacked,  and  eight  of  the  rajah's  best  horses  taken. 
Then,  when  all  was  ready  for  starting,  Major  Warrener 
proceeded  to  the  door  of  the  women's  apartments.     Here 
in  obedience  to  the  order  he  had  sent  her,  the  wife  of  the 
talookdar,  veiled  from  head  to  foot,  and  surrounded  by 
her  attendants,  stood  to  await  the  orders  of  her  captor. 
"Madam,"  said  Captain  Wilkins,  who  spoke  the  dialect 
in  use  in  Oude,  "Major  "Warrener,  the  British  officer  in 
command,  bids  me  tell  you  that  this  castle,  with  you  and 
all  that  it  contains,  are  in  his  power,  and  that  he  might 
give  it  to  the   flames  and   carry  you  off  as  hostage.     But 
he  will  not  do  this.     The  rajah   of  Bithri    is  a    brave 
man,  but  he  is  wrong  to  fight  against  fate.     The  English 
raj  will   prevail  again,  and  all  who  have  rebelled  will  be 
punished.     We  treat  him  as  a  brave  but  mistaken  enemy; 
and  as  we  have  spared  his  castle  and  his  family,  so  we 
hope  that  he  in  turn  will  behave  kindly  to  any  English- 
man or  woman  who  may  fall   into  his  hands  or  may  ask 
his  aid.     Lastly,  let  no  one  leave  this   castle  till  day- 
break, for  whoever  does  so  we  will  slay  without  mercy.'"' 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  135 

Then,  turning  round  again,  Warrener  and  his  compan- 
ions returned  to  the  courtyard.  The  moment  the  castle 
was  entered  and  opposition  quelled,  half  the  troops  had  run 
back  for  the  horses,  and  in  twenty  minutes  from  the  ar- 
rival of  the  bullock  carts  at  the  gateway  of  Bithri  the  last 
of  its  captors  filed  out  from  its  walls  and  trotted  off  into 
the  darkness.  Day  broke  before  any  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Bithri  dared  issue  from  its  walls.  Then  a  horseman 
took  the  news  on  to  the  camp.  The  artillery,  increased 
now  to  thirty-six  guns,  had  already  opened  upon  the 
village  ere  he  reached  the  great  tent  on  the  plain.  The 
rajah  could  not  credit  the  intelligence  that  the  enemy 
had  escaped,  that  his  castle  had  been  attacked  and  car- 
ried and  the  white  prisoners  released ;  but  his  surprise 
and  fury  were  overpowered  by  the  delight  he  felt  at"  the 
new3  that  his  women  and  children  were  safe,  and  liis 
ancestral  dwelling  uninjured.  "The  English  are  a  great 
people,"  he  said,  stroking  his  beard;  then,  issuing  from 
his  tent,  he  told  the  news.  Like  wildfire  it  ran  through 
the  camp,  and  as  none  of  the  thousands  gathered  there 
had  his  feelings  of  gratitude  and  relief  to  soften  their 
anger  and  disappointment,  the  fury  of  the  multitude  was 
unbounded.  j 

With  a  wild  rush  they  made  for  the  gate — almost 
blocked  with  their  dead — scoured  the  little  village,  and 
soon  discovered  the  hole  through  which  the  besieged  had 
escaped.  Then  with  wild  yells  three  thousand  horsemen 
set  off  in  pursuit;  but  it  was  six  o'clock  now,  and  the 
fugitives  had  got  seven  hours'  start.  The  Kajah  of 
Bithri's  contingent  took  no  part  in  the  pursuit.  On 
issuing  from  his  tent  he  had,  after  telling  the  news, 
briefly  given  orders  for  his  tents  to  be  struck,  and  for  all 
Lis  troops  to  return  at  once  to  the  castle,  toward  which 
he  himself,  accompanied  by  his  bodyguard,  set  out  on 
liis  elephant  of  state. 


136  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Major  Warrener  and  his  troops  bad  no  fear  of  pursuit. 
New  foes  might  be  met ;  but  with  horses  fresh  and  in 
good  condition,  and  six  hours'  start — for  they  were  con- 
fident that  no  pursuit  could  commence  before  daybreak  at 
the  earliest — they  felt  safe  from  the  enemy  who  had  just 
attacked  them,  especially  as  these  could  not  know  the 
direction  which  they  were  pursuing,  and  would  believe 
that  their  aim  would  be  to  return  with  their  rescued 
friends  to  Delhi,  instead  of  proceeding  through  the  heart 
of  Oude.  The  party  whom  they  had  found  at  Bithri  con- 
sisted of  Mr.  Hartford,  a  deputy  commissioner,  with  his 
wife  and  two  daughters,  of  a  Mrs.  Pearson  and  her  sister, 
the  former  the  wife  of  a  district  magistrate,  who  had 
been  absent  on  duty  when  the  rising  at  the  little  station 
at  which  they  lived  took  place,  and -of  Captain  Harper  and 
Lieutenant  Jones,  who  were  the  officers  of  the  detach- 
ment there.  The  men,  native  cavalry,  had  ridden  off 
without  injuring  their  officers,  but  the  fanatical  people 
of  the  place  had  killed  many  of  the  residents  and  fired 
their  bungalows.  Some  had  escaped  on  horseback  or  in 
carriages ;  and  the  present  party,  keeping  together,  had, 
when  near  Bithri,  been  seized  and  brought  in  to  the 
chief,  who  intended  to  take  them  with  him  to  Lucknow, 
when — an  event  of  which  he  daily  expected  news — the 
little  body  of  English  there  were  destroyed  by  the  forces 
gathering  round  them. 

The  captives  had  heard  what  was  doing,  both  at  Luck- 
now  and  Cawnpore.  At  the  latter  place  not  only  had  the 
native  troops  mutinied,  but  the  rajah  of  Bithoor,  Nana 
Sahib,  whom  the  English  had  regarded  as  a  firm  friend, 
had  joined  them.  Sir  Hugh  "Wheeler,  with  the  officers  of 
the  revolted  regiments,  the  civilians  of  the  station,  and 
forty  or  fifty  white  troops,  having  some  eight  hundred 
women  and  children  in  their  charge,  were  defending  a 


W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  IS? 

weak  position  against  thousands  of  the  enemy,  provided 
with  artillery. 

When,  after  riding  thirty  miles,  the  party  stopped  at 
daybreak  at  a  ruined  temple  standing  in  its  grove  at  a 
distance  from  the  main  road,  Major  Warrener  called  his 
officers  into  council,  to  determine  what  was  the  best 
course  to  adopt  under  the  circumstances.  Should  they 
dash  through  the  lines  of  the  besiegers  of  Cawnpore,  or 
should  they  make  for  Agra,  or  endeavor  to  join  the  force 
which  was  being  collected  at  Allahabad  to  march  to  their 
relief? 

Finally,  and  very  reluctantly,  the  latter  course  was 
decided  upon.  It  was  agreed — and  the  truth  of  their 
conclusion  was  proved  by  the  fact  that  throughout  the 
mutiny  there  was  no  single  instance  of  the  rebels,  how- 
ever numerous,  carrying  a  position  held  by  any  body  of 
Englishmen — that  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler  and  his  force  could 
probably  hold  the  intrenchments  against  any  assault 
that  the  enemy  could  make,  and  that  if  forced  to  surren- 
der it  would  probably  be  from  want  of  supplies.  In  that 
case  the  arrival  of  a  hundred  men  would  be  a  source  of 
weakness  rather  than  of  strength.  The  reinforcement 
would  not  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  enable  the  garrison, 
incumbered  as  it  was  with  women  and  children,  to  cut 
its  way  out,  while  there  would  be  a  hundred  more  mouths 
to  fill.  It  was  therefore  resolved  to  change  their  course 
to  avoid  Cawnpore,  and  to  make  direct  for  Allahabad  with 
the  news  of  the  urgent  strait  in  which  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler 
was  placed,  and  of  the  necessity  for  an  instant  advance  to 
his  relief. 

Cawnpore  was  now  but  forty  miles  away,  and  Lucknow 
was  about  the  same  distance,  but  in  a  different  direction ; 
and  as  they  stretched  themselves  on  the  ground  and  pre- 
pared for  sleep,  they  could  distinctly  hear  the  dull,  faint 


138  IH  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

sounds  that  told  of  a  heavy  artillery  fire.  At  which  of 
the  stations,  or  if  at  both,  the  firing  was  going  on,  they 
could  not  tell ;  but  in  fact  it  was  at  Cawnpore,  as  this 
was  the  25th  of  June,  and  the  siege  of  the  Lucknow 
Besidency  did  not  begin  in  earnest  until  the  30th  of  that 
month. 

The  course  had  now  to  be  decided  upon,  and  maps 
were  consulted,  and  it  was  determined  to  cross  the  river 
at  Sirapore.  It  was  agreed,  too,  that  they  should,  at  the 
first  village  they  passed  through  that  evening,  question 
the  inhabitants  as  to  the  bodies  of  rebels  [moving  about, 
and  find  out  whether  any  large  numbers  were  stationed 
at  any  of  the  bridges. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  they  were  again  in  the 
saddle,  and  an  hour  later  halted  at  a  village.  There 
several  of  the  men  were  examined  separately,  and  their 
stories  agreed  that  there  were  no  large  bodies  of  Sepoys 
on  the  line  by  which  they  proposed  to  travel,  but  that 
most  of  the  talookdars  were  preparing  to  march  to  Luck- 
now  and  Cawnpore,  when  the  British  were  destroyed. 
Having  thus  learned  that  the  bridge  by  which  they 
intended  to  cross  was  open  to  them,  the  troop  again  pro- 
ceeded on  their  way,  leaving  the  village  lost  in  astonish- 
ment as  to  where  this  body  of  British  horse  could  havo 
come  from. 

Upon  this  night's  ride  Ned  and  Dick  Warrener  were 
on  rear-guard — that  is  to  say,  they  rode  together  somo 
two  hundred  yards  behind  the  rest  of  the  squadron. 

An  hour  after  leaving  the  village,  as  they  were  passing 
through  a  thick  grove  of  trees,  some  figures  rose  as  from 
the  ground.  Ned  was  knocked  off  his  horse  by  a  blow 
with  the  butt-end  of  a  gun,  and  Dick,  before  he  had  timo 
to  shout  or  make  a  movement  in  his  defence,  was  dragged 
from  his  horse,  his  head  wrapped  in  a  thick  cloth,  and 


IZV  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  139 

!his  arms  bound.  Then  he  could  feel  himself  lifted  up 
and  rapidly  carried  off.  After  a  time  he  was  put  on  his 
legs  and  the  covering  of  his  head  removed.  He  found 
Ned  beside  him,  and  a  word  of  congratulation  that  both 
were  alive  was  exchanged.  Then  a  rope  was  placed 
round  each  of  their  necks,  and  surrounded  by  their 
captors,  two  of  whom  rode  their  horses,  they  were  started 
at  a  run,  with  admonitions  from  those  around  them  that 
any  attempt  to  escape  or  to  shout  would  be  punished  with 
instant  death. 

For  full  two  hours  they  were  hurried  along,  and  then 
the  party  halted  at  the  edge  of  a  thick  jungle,  lighted  a 
fire  and  began  to  cook.  The  prisoners  were  allowed  to 
sit  down  with  their  captors.  These  were  matchlock-men, 
on  their  way  to  join  the  forces  besieging  the  Residency 
at  Cawnpore,  toward  which  town  they  had  been  making 
their  way,  as  the  boom  of  the  guns  sounded  sharper  and 
clearer  every  mile  that  they  traveled.  Ned  gathered 
from  the  talk  that  their  capture  was  the  effect  of  pure 
accident.  The  party  had  sat  down  in  the  wood  to  eat 
when  they  heard  a  troop  of  horsemen  passing.  A  word 
or  two  spoken  in  English  as  the  leaders  came  along 
ssumeed  to  show  the  nationality  of  the  troop,  and  the 
band  lay  quiet  in  the  bushes  until,  as  they  supposed  all 
had  passed.  They  had  risen  to  leave  when  the  two  last 
horsemen  came  in  view,  and  these  they  determined  to 
capture  and  carry  off,  if  possible,  hoping  to  get  a  con- 
siderable reward  from  Nana  Sahib  on  their  arrival  at 
Cawnpore. 

Nana  Sahib's  name  had  not  as  yet  that  terrible  history 
attached  to  it  which  rendered  it  execrated  wherever  tho 
English  tongue  is  spoken ;  but  the  boys  had  heard,  that 
after  pretending  to  be  the  friend  of  the  whites,  he  was 
nov/  leading  the   assault   against  them,  and  that  lie  was 


140  -Df  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

therefore  a  traitor,  and  fighting  as  it  were  with  a  ropa 
round  his  neck.  At  the  hands  of  such  a  man  they  had 
no  mercy  to  expect. 

"It  is  of  no  use  trying  to  make  a  bolt,  Ned?" 

"Not  the  least  in  the  world.  The  two  fellows  next  to 
us  are  appointed  to  watch  us.  Don't  you  see  they  ara 
sitting  with  their  guns  across  their  knees?  "We  should 
he  shot  down  in  a  moment. ' ' 

There  was  a  debate  among  the  band  whether  to  push 
on  to  Cawnpore  at  once ;  but  they  had  already  made  a  long 
day's  journey,  and  moreover  thought  that  they  could 
create  a  greater  effect  by  arriving  with  their  prisoners  by 
daylight.  The  fire  was  made  up,  and  the  men  wrapped 
themselves  in  their  cloths — the  native  of  India  almost 
invariably  sleeps  with  his  head  covered,  and  looking 
more  like  a  corpse  than  a  living  being.  Anxiously  the 
boys  watched,  in  hopes  that  their  guards  would  follow 
the  example.  They  showed,  however,  no  signs  of  doing 
so,  but  sat  talking  over  the  approaching  destruction  of 
the  English  rule,  and  of  the  restoration  of  the  Moham- 
medan power.  i 

Two  hours  passed ;  the  fire  burned  low,  and  the  boys, 
in  spite  of  the  danger  of  their  position,  were  just  drop- 
ping off  to  sleep,  when  there  was  a  mighty  roar — a  rush 
of  some  great  body  passing  over  them — a  scream  of  on9 
of  the  natives — a  yell  of  terror  from  the  rest.  A  tiger 
stood  with  one  of  the  guards  in  his  mouth,  growling 
fiercely,  and  giving  him  an  occasional  shake,  as  a  cat 
would  shake  a  mouse,  while  one  of  his  paws  held  down 
the  prostrate  figure  of  the  other. 

There  was  a  wild  stampede — men  tumbled  over  and 
over  each  other  in  their  efforts  to  escape  from  the  terri- 
ble presence,  and  then,  getting  to  their  feet,  started  oil 
at  full  speed.     For  a  moment  the  boys  had  lain  paralzyed 


•    '^S'HBWJlif'illiS'if 


Or  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  141 

by  the  sudden  advent  of  the  terrible  man-eater,  and 
then  had,  like  the  rest,  darted  away. 

"To  the  jungle!"  Ned  exclaimed,  and  in  an  instant; 
they  had  plunged  into  the  undergrowth,  and  were  forc- 
ing their  way  at  full  speed  through  it.  Man-eating 
tigers  are  rarely  found  in  pairs,  and  there  was  little  fear 
that  another  was  lurking  in  the  wood ;  and  even  had  such 
been  the  case,  they  would  have  preferred  death  in  that 
form  to  being  murdered  in  cold  blood  by  the  enemy. 
Presently  they  struck  on  a  track  leading  through  the 
wood  and  followed  it,  until  in  five  minutes  they  emerged 
at  the  other  side.  As  they  did  so  they  heard  the  report 
of  firearms  in  the  direction  of  their  last  halting  place, 
and  guessed  that  the  peasants  were  firing  at  hazard  in 
hopes  of  frightening  the  tiger  into  dropping  his  prey. 
As  to  their  own  flight,  it  was  probable  that  so  far  they 
had  been  unthought  of.  The  first  object  of  the  fugitives 
was  to  get  as  far  as  possible  from  their  late  captors,  wTho 
would  at  daybreak  be  sure  to  organize  a  regular  hunt  for 
them,  and  accordingly  they  ran  straight  ahead  until  in 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  they  came  into  a  wide  road. 
Then,  exhausted  with  their  exertions,  they  threw  them- 
selves down  and  panted  for  breath. 

Dick  was  the  first  to  speak.  "What  on  earth  are  we 
to  do  now,  Ned  ?  These  uniforms  will  betray  us  to  the 
first  person  we  meet,  and  we  have  no  means  of  dis- 
guise. " 

"We  must  get  as  far  away  as  we  can  before  daylight, 
Dick,  and  then  hide  up.  Sooner  or  later  we  must  throw 
ourselves  on  the  hospitality  of  some  one  and  take  our 
chance.  This  is  evidently  the  main  road  to  Cawnpore, 
and  judging  from  the  guns,  we  cannot  be  more  than  ten 
or  twelve  miles  away.  It  will  not  do  to  go  back  along 
this  road,  for  the  fellows  we  have  got  away  from  may 


143  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

strike  it  below  us  and  follow  it  up.     Let  us  go  forward 
along  it  till  we  meet  a  side  road,  and  take  that." 

Ten  minutes'  walking  brought  them  to  a  point  where  a 
side  road  came  in,  and  taking  this  they  walked  steadily 
on.  They  passed  two  or  three  villages,  which  the  moon- 
light enabled  them  to  see  before  they  reached  them; 
these  they  avoided  by  a  detour,  as  the  dogs  would  be 
sure  to  arouse  the  inhabitants,  and  it  was  only  in  a  soli- 
tary abode  that  they  had  a  chance  of  being  sheltered. 
Toward  morning  they  saw  ahead  a  building  of  consider- 
able size,  evidently  the  abode  of  a  person  of  consequence. 
It  was  not  fortified ;  but  behind  it  was  a  large  inclosure 
with  high  walls. 

"I  vote  we  climb  over  that  wall,  Ned;  there  are 
several  trees  growing  close  up  to  it.  If  they  hunt  the 
country  round  for  us  they  will  never  look  inside  there; 
and  I  expect  that  there  is  a  garden  and  we  are  sure  to 
find  a  hiding  place.  Then  if  the  owner  comes  out  we 
can,  if  he  looks  a  decent  chap,  throw  ourselves  on  his 
hands." 

-'I  think  that  a  good  idea,  Dick;  the  sooner  we  carry 
it  out  the  better,  for  in  another  half-hour  day  will  be 
breaking." 

7  key  made  a  detour  round  to  the  back  of  the  building, 
and  after  some  search  found  a  tree  growing  close  enough 
to  the  wall  to  assist  them.  This  they  climbed,  got  along 
a  branch  which  extended  over  the  top  of  the  wall,  and 
thence  dropped  into  the  garden.  Here  there  were  pavil- 
ions and  fountains,  and  well-kept  walks,  with  great 
clumps  of  bushes  and  flowering  shurbs  well  calculated  for 
concealment.  Into  one  of  these  they  crept  and  were  soon 
fast  asleep. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  awoke,  roused 
by  the  sound  of  laughter,  and  of  the  chatter  of  many 
voices. 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  143 

gracious!"  Ned  exclaimed;  " we  have  got  into 
the  women's  garden." 

In  another  minute  a  group  of  women  came  in  sight. 
The  principal  figure  was  a  young  woman  of  some  twenty- 
two  or  twenty -three,  with  a  red  wafer-like  patch  on  her 
orehead,  and  very  richly  dressed. 

"She  is  a  Hindoo,"  Ned  whispered;  "what  luck!" 

There  are  indeed  very  few  Hindoos  in  Oude,  and  the 
Mohammedan  being  the  dominant  race,  a  Hindoo  would 
naturally  feel  far  more  favorably  inclined  toward  a  Brit- 
ish fugitive  than  a  Mohammedan  would  be  likely  to  do, 
as  the  triumph  of  the  rebellion  could  to  them  simply 
mean  a  restoration  of  Mahommedan  supremacy  in  place 
of  the  far  more  tolerant  British  rule. 

Next  to  the  ranee  walked  an  old  woman,  who  had 
probably  been  her  nurse,  and  was  now  her  confidant  and 
adviser.  The  rest  were  young  women,  clearly  depend- 
ants. 

"And  so,  Ahrab,  we  must  give  up  our  garden  and  go 
into  Cawnpore,  and  in  such  weather,  too!" 

"It  must  be  so  indeed,"  the  elder  woman  said. 
''These  Mohammedans  doubt  us,  and  so  insist  on  your 
highness  showing  your  devotion  to  the  cause  by  taking 
up  your  residence  in  Cawnpore,  and  sending  in  all  your 
retainers  to  join  in  the  attack  on  the  English. 

The  ranee  looked  sad. 

"They  say  there  are  hundreds  of  women  and  little 
children  there,"  she  said,  "and  that  the  English  who  are 
defending  them  are  few. ' ' 

"It  is  so,"  Ahrab  said.  "But  they  are  brave.  The 
men  of  the  Nana  and  the  old  regiments,  are  fifty  to  one 
against  them,  and  the  cannon  fire  night  and  day,  and  yob 
they  do  not  give  way  a  foot." 

"They  are  men,  the  English  sahibs." 


144  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"While  they  were  speaking,  the  two  chief  personages  of 
the  party  had  taken  their  seats  in  a  pavilion  close  to  tho 
spot  where  the  young  Warreners  were  hidden. 

Ned  translated  the  purport  of  the  talk  to  Dick,  and 
both  agreed  that  the  way  of  safety  had  opened  to  them. 

Seeing  that  their  mistress  was  not  in  the  humor  for 
laughter  and  mirth,  and  would  rather  talk  quietly  with 
her  chief  friend  and  adviser,  the  attendants  gradually  left 
them  and  gathered  in  a  distant  part  of  the  garden. 

Then  Ned  and  Dick  crept  out  of  their  hiding  place, 
and  appeared  suddenly  at  the  entrance  to  the  pavilion, 
where  they  fell  on  one  knee  in  an  attitude  of  supplica- 
tion, and  Ned  said : 

"Oh,  gracious  lady,  have  pity  upon  two  fugitives!" 

The  ranee  and  her  counselor  rose  to  their  feet  with  a 
little  scream,  and  hastily  covered  their  heads. 

"Have  pity,  lady,"  Ned  went  on,  earnestly;  "we  are 
alone  and  friendless;  Oh,  do  not  give  us  up  to  our 
enemies." 

"How  did  you  get  here?"  asked  the  elder  woman. 

"We  climbed  the  wall,"  Ned  said.  "We  knew  not 
that  this  garden  was  the  ladies'  garden,  or  we  might  not 
have  invaded  it;  now  we  bless  Providence  that  has 
brought  us  to  the  feet  of  so  kind  and  lovely  a  lady. ' ' 

The  ranee  laughed  lightly  behind  her  veil. 

"They  are  mere  boys,  Ahrab. " 

"Yes,  your  highness,  but  it  would  be  just  as  danger- 
ous for  you  to  shelter  boys  as  men.  And  what  will  you 
do,  as  you  have  to  go  to  Cawnpore  to-morrow?" 

"Oh,  you  can  manage  somehow,  Ahrab — you  are  so 
clever,"  the  ranee  said  coaxingly,  "and  I  could  nob 
give  them  up  to  be  killed ;  I  should  never  feel  happy  after- 
ward. ' ' 

"May  heaven  bless  you,  lady!"  Ned  said,  earnestly  J 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  143 

and  your  kind  action  may  not  go  unrewarded  even  here. 
Soon,  very  soon,  an  English  army  will  be  at  Cawnpore  to 
punish  the  rebels,  and  then  it  will  be  well  with  thosa 
who  have  succored  British  fugitives. ' ' 

"Do  you  say  an  English  army  will  come  soon?"  Ahrab 
said,  doubtfully.  "Men  say  the  English  raj  is  gone  for- 
ever. ' ' 

"It  is  not  true,"  Ned  said.  "England  has  not  begun 
to  put  out  her  strength  yet.  She  can  send  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  soldiers,  and  the  great  chiefs  of  the  Punjab 
have  all  declared  for  her.  Already  Delhi  is  besieged, 
and  an  army  is  gathering  at  Allahabad  to  march  hither. 
It  may  be  quickly ;  it  may  be  slowly ;  but  in  the  end  the 
English  rule  will  be  restored,  her  enemies  will  be  de- 
stroyed, and  her  friends  rewarded.  But  I  know,"  ha 
went  on,  turning  to  the  ranee,  "that  it  needs  not  a 
thought  of  this  to  influence  you,  and  that  in  your  kind 
heart  compassion  alone  will  suffice  to  secure  us  your  pro- 
tection. " 

The  ranee  laughed  again. 

"You  are  only  a  boy,"  she  said,  "but  you  have  learned 
to  flatter.     Now  tell  us  how  you  got  here. " 

"Tour  highness,"  Ahrab  interrupted,  "I  had  better 
send  all  the  others  in,  for  they  might  surprise  us.  Let 
these  young  sahibs  hide  themselves  again ;  then  we  will 
go  in,  and  I  will  call  in  your  attendants.  Later,  when  it 
is  dusk,  you  will  plead  heat  and  come  out  here  with  me 
again,  and  then  I  can  bring  some  robes  to  disguise  the 
sahibs;  that  is,  if  your  highness  has  resolved  to  aid 
them." 

"I  think  I  have  resolved  that,  Ahrab,"  the  ranee  said, 
"You  have  heard,  young  sahibs;  retire  now  and  hide, 
When  the  sun  has  set  we  will  be  here  again." 

With  deep  assurance  of  gratitude  from  Ned,  the  lads 


146  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

again  took  refuge  in  the  shrubs,  delighted  with  the  re* 
Eult  of  their  interview. 

"i  do  hope  that  the  old  one  will  bring  us  something  to 
eat,  Ned.  I  am  as  hungry  as  a  hunter!  That  ranee's  a 
brick,  isn't  she?" 

Two  hours  later  a  step  was  heard  coming  down  the 
garden,  and  a  woman  came  and  lit  some  lamps  in  the 
pavilion,  and  again  retired.  Then  in  another  ten  min- 
utes the  ranee  and  her  confidant  made  their  appear- 
ance. The  former  took  her  seat  on  the  couch  in  the 
pavilion,  the  latter  remained  outside  the  circle  of  light 
and  clapped  her  hands  softly.  In  a  minute  the  boys 
stood  before  her.  She  held  out  a  basket  of  provisions 
and  a  bundle  of  clothes. 

"Put  these  wraps  on  over  your  uniforms,"  she  said; 
"then  if  we  should  be  surprised,  no  one  will  be  any  the 
wiser. ' ' 

The  boys  retired,  hastily  ate  some  food,  then  wrapped 
themselves  in  the  long  folds  of  cotton  which  form  the 
principal  garment  of  native  women  of  the  lower  class,  and 
went  forward  to  the  pavilion. 

The  ranee  laughed  outright. 

"How  clumsy  you  are!"  she  said.  "Ahrab,  do  ar- 
range them  a  little  more  like  women." 

Ahrab  adjusted  their  robes,  and  brought  one  end  over 
their  heads,  so  that  it  could,  if  necessary,  be  pulled  over 
the  face  at  a  moment's  notice. 

The  ranee  then  motioned  to  them  to  sit  down  upon 
two  cushions  near  her;  and  saying  to  Ahrab,  "it  is  very 
hot,  and  they  are  only  boys,"  removed  the  veil  from  her 
face.  "You  make  very  pretty  girls,  only  you  are  too 
white, "  she  said. 

"Lady,  if  we  had  some  dye  we  could  pass  as  natives,  I 
think,"  Ned  said;  "we  have  done  so  before  this,  since 
the  troubles  began." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  147 

*'Tell  me  all  about  it,"  the  ranee  said.  " I  want  to 
know  who  you  are,  and  how  you  came  here  as  if  you  had 
dropped  from  the  skies. 

Ned  related  their  adventures  since  leaving  Delhi,  and 
then  the  ranee  insisted  upon  an  account  of  their  previ- 
ous masquerading  as  natives. 

"How  brave  you  English  boys  are, "  she  said.  "No 
wonder  your  men  have  conquered  India.  Now,  Ahrab, 
tell  these  young  sahibs  what  we  propose. ' ' 

"We  dare  not  leave  you  here,"  Ahrab  said.  "You. 
would  have  to  be  fed,  and  we  must  trust  many  people. 
We  go  to  Cawnpore  to-morrow,  and  you  must  go  with  us. 
My  son  has  a  garden  here ;  we  can  trust  him,  and  he  will 
bring  a  bullock  cart  with  him  to-morrow  morning.  In 
this  will  be  placed  some  boxes,  and  he  will  start.  You 
must  wait  a  little  way  off,  and  when  you  see  him  you  will 
know  him,  because  he  will  tie  a  piece  of  red  cloth  to  the 
horns  of  the  bullock ;  you  will  come  up  and  get  in.  He 
will  ask  no  questions,  but  will  drive  you  to  the  ranee's. 
I  will  open  the  door  to  you  and  take  you  up  to  a  little 
room  where  you  will  not  be  disturbed.  We  shall  all 
start  first.  You  cannot  go  with  us,  because  the  other 
women  will  wonder  who  you  are.  Here  is  some  stuff  to 
dye  your  faces  and  hands.  I  will  let  you  out  by  a  pri- 
vate door.  You  will  see  a  wood  five  minutes  along  the 
road.  You  must  stop  there  to-night,  and  do  not  come 
out  till  you  see  the  ranee  and  her  party  pass.  There  is 
a  little  hut,  which  is  empty,  in  the  wood  where  you  can 
sleep  without  fear  of  disturbance.  The  ranee  is  sorry  to 
turn  you  out  to-night,  but  we  start  at  daybreak,  and  I 
should  have  no  opportunity  of  slipping  away  and  letting 
you  out. ' ' 

Everything  being  now  arranged,  the  ranee  arose.  Ned 
reiterating  the  expression  of  the  gratitude  of  his  brother 


148  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

and  himself,  the  ranee  coquettishly  held  out  a  little  hand 
whose  size  and  shape  an  Englishwoman  might  have 
envied,  and  the  boys  kissed  it — Ned  respectfully,  Dick 
with  a  heartiness  which  made  her  laugh,  and  draw  it 
away. 

"You  are  a  darling,"  Dick  said,  in  English,  with  the 
native  impudence  of  a  midshipman,  "and  I  wish  I  knew 
enough  of  your  lingo  to  tell  you. ' ' 
,  "What  does  he  say?"  she  asked  of  Ned. 
;.  '"'He  is  a  sailor,"  Ned  said;  "and  sailors  say  things  we 
©32  shore  would  not  venture  to  say.  My  brother  says 
^OU  are  the  Sower  of  his  heart. ' ' 

"Your  brother  is  an  impudent  boy, "  the  ranee  said, 
Sa&gillHgj  "and  I  have  a  good  mind  to  hand  him  over  to 
*$&  NaQS.     Now  good-by .     Ahrab  will  let  you  out. ' ' 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL,  '  £49' 


CHAPTER  X. 

TREACHERY. 

©?  all  the  names  connected  with  the  Indian  mutiny 
Cawnpore  stands  out  conspicuous  for  its  dark  record  of 
treachery,  massacre  and  bloodshed ;  and  its  name  will,  so 
long  as  the  English  language  continues,  be  regarded  as 
the  darkest  in  the  annals  of  our  nation.  Cawnpore  is 
situated  on  the  Ganges,  one  hundred  and  twenty -three 
miles  northwest  of  Allahabad,  and  was  at  the  time  of  our 
story  a  large  straggling  town,  extending  nearly  five  miles 
along  the  river.  It  stands  on  a  sandy  plain,  intensely 
hot  and  dusty  in  summer,  and  possesses  no  fort  or  other 
building  such  as  proved  the  safety  of  the  Europeans  in 
Agra  and  Allahabad.  The  force  stationed  there  at  the 
first  outbreak  of  the  mutiny  consisted  of  the  First,  Fifty- 
third  and  Fifty-sixth  native  regiments,  the  Second  Regi- 
ment of  Bengal  cavalry,  and  about  fifty  European  invalid 
artillerymen.  "When  the  news  of  the  revolt  at  Meerut 
reached  Cawnpore,  and  it  was  but  too  probable  that  the 
mutiny  would  spread  to  all  the  native  regiments  through- 
out the  country,  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler,  who  was  in  com- 
mand, at  once  set  to  work  to  prepare  a  fortified  position 
in  which  to  retire  with  the  European  residents  in  case  of 
necessity.  To  this  end  he  connected  with  breastworks  a 
large  unfinished  building  intended  as  a  military  hospi- 
tal, with  the  church  and  some  other  buildings,  all  stand- 
ing near  the  center  of  the  grand  parade,  and  surrounded 


350  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

the  wliole  with  an  intrenchment.  "Within  these  lines  he 
collected  ammunition,  stores  and  provisions  for  a  month's 
consumption  for  a  thousand  persons,  and  having  thus,  as 
he  hoped,  prepared  for  the  worst,  he  awaited  the  event. 

Although  there  was  much  uneasiness  and  disquietude, 
things  went  on  tolerably  well  up  to  the  middle  of  May. 
Then  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler  sent  to  Lucknow,  forty  miles 
distant,  to  ask  for  a  company  of  white  troops,  to  enable 
him  to  disarm  the  Sepoys ;  and  he  also  asked  aid  of  Nana 
Sahib,  Rajah  of  Bithoor,  who  was  looked  upon  as  a 
staunch  friend  of  the  English.  On  the  22nd  of  May, 
fifty-five  Europeans  of  the  Thirty-second  Eegiment,  and 
two  hundred  and  forty  native  troopers  of  the  Oude  irreg- 
ular cavalry,  arrived  from  Lucknow,  and  two  guns  and 
three  hundred  men  were  sent  in  by  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor. 

Nana  Sahib  was  at  this  time  a  man  of  thirty -two  years 
of  age,  having  been  born  in  the  year  1825.  He  was  the 
Eon  of  poor  parents,  and  had  at  the  age  of  two  years  and 
a  half  been  adopted  by  the  Peishwa,  who  had  no  children 
of  his  own.  In  India  adoption  is  very  common,  and  an 
adopted  son  has  all  the  legal  rights  of  a  legitimate  off- 
spring. The  Peishwa,  who  was  at  one  time  a  powerful 
prince,  was  dethroned  by  us  for  having  on  several  occa- 
sions joined  other  princes  in  waging  war  against  us,  but 
was  honorably  treated,  and  an  annuity  of  eighty  thou- 
sand pounds  a  year  was  assigned  to  him  and  his  heirs. 
In  1851  the  Peishwa  died,  leaving  Nana  Dhoondu  Pant, 
for  that  was  the  Nana's  full  name,  his  heir  and  successor. 
The  company  refused  to  continue  the  grant  to  Nana 
Sahib,  and  in  so  doing  acted  in  a  manner  at  once  im- 
politic and  unjust.  It  was  unjust,  because  they  had 
allowed  the  Peishwa  and  Nana  Sahib,  up  to  the  death  of 
the  former,  to  suppose  that  the  Indian  law  of  adoption 
would  be  recognized  here  as  in  all  other  cases;  it  was. 


W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  151 

Impolitic,  because  as  the  greater  portion  of  the  Indian 
princes  had  adopted  heirs,  these  were  all  alarmed  at  the 
refusal  to  recognize  the  Nana,  and  felt  that  a  similar  blow 
might  be  dealt  to  them. 

Thus,  at  this  critical  period  of  our  history,  the  minds 
of  the  great  Indian  princes  were  all  alienated  from  us,  by 
what  was  in  their  eyes  at  once  a  breach  of  a  solemn  en- 
gagement, and  a  menace  to  every  reigning  house.  Nana 
Sahib,  however,  evinced  no  hostility  to  the  English  rule. 
He  had  inherited  the  private  fortune  of  the  Peishwa,  and 
lived  in  great  state  at  Bithoor.  He  affected  greatly  the 
society  of  the  British  residents  at  Cawnpore,  was  profuso 
in  his  hospitality,  and  was  regarded  as  a  jovial  fellow, 
and  a  staunch  friend  of  the  English.  "When  the  mutiny 
broke  out  it  proved  that  he  was  only  biding  his  time. 
Nana  Sahib  was  described  by  an  officer  who  knew  him, 
four  years  before  the  mutiny,  as  then  looking  at  least 
forty  years  old,  and  very  fat.  "His  face  is  round,  hia 
eyes  very  wild,  brilliant,  and  restless.  His  complexion, 
as  is  the  case  with  most  native  gentlemen,  is  scarcely 
darker  than  that  of  a  dark  Spaniard,  and  his  expression 
is,  on  the  whole,  of  a  jovial,  and,  indeed,  somewhat 
rollicking  character."  In  reality,  this  rollicking  nativa 
gentleman  was  a  human  tiger. 

On  the  very  night  that  the  men  of  the  Thirty-second 
came  in  from  Oude,  there  was  an  alarm  of  a  rising,  and 
the  ladies  and  children  of  the  station  took  refuge  in  tho 
fortified  post  prepared  for  them ;  and  from  that  time  tha 
sufferings  of  the  residents  commenced,  although  it  waa 
not  for  a  fortnight  afterward  that  the  mutiny  took  place; 
for  the  over-crowding  and  the  intense  heat  at  once  be- 
gan to  affect  the  health  of  those  huddled  together  in  ill- 
ventilated  rooms,  and  deprived  of  all  the  luxuries  which 
alone  make  existence  endurable  to  white  people  in  Indiaa 


152  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

cities  on  the  plains  during  the  heats  of  summer.  Scares 
c  day  passed  without  news  of  risings  at  other  stations 
taking  place,  and  with  the  receipt  of  each  item  of  intelli- 
gence the  insolence  displayed  by  the  Sepoys  increased. 

A  few  English  troops  arrived  from  Allahabad,  and  &t 
midnight  upon  the  4th  of  June,  when  the  natives  broke 
into  revolt,  there  were  in  the  intrenchments  of  Cawnpore 
eighty-three  officers  of  various  regiments,  sixty  men  cf 
the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment,  and  seventy  of  the  Thirty- 
second,  fifteen  of  the  First  Madras  Fusiliers,  and  a  few 
invalid  gunners;  the  whole  defensive  force  consisting  of 
about  two  hundred  and  forty  men,  and  six  guns.  There 
were  under  their  charge  a  large  numbers  of  ladies  and 
children,  the  wives  and  families  of  the  officers  and  civil- 
ians at  the  station,  sixty-four  women  and  seventy-six 
children  belonging  to  the  soldiers,  with  a  few  native  ser- 
vants who  remained  faithful.  The  total  number  of 
women,  children,  and  non-effectives  amounted  to  about 
eight  hundred  and  seventy  persons. 

During  the  night  of  the  4th  of  June  the  whole  of  the 
native  troops  rose,  set  fire  to  all  the  European  residences 
outside  the  intrenchments,  and  marched  to  Nawabgunge, 
a  place  four  miles  away.  A  message  was  sent  by  them  to 
Nana  Sahib,  to  the  effect  that  they  were  marching  to 
Delhi,  and  inviting  him  to  assume  the  command.  This 
he  at  once  assented  to,  and  arrived  at  Nawabgunge  a  few 
hours  later,  with  six  hundred  troops  and  four  guns,  and 
his  first  act  was  to  divide  the  contents  of  the  English 
treasury  there,  which  had  been  guarded  by  his  own 
troops,  among  the  mutineers. 

Having  destroyed  the  European  buildings,  the  force 
marched  to  Kulleanpore,  on  its  way  to  Delhi ;  but  on  its 
reaching  this  place  the  same  evening,  Nana  Sahib  called 
together  the  native  officers  and  advised  them  to  return 


22V  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  153 

to  Cawnpore  and  kill  all  the  Europeans  there.  Then 
they  would  be  thought  much  of  when  they  arrived  at 
Delhi.  The  proposal  was  accepted  with  acclamation,  and 
during  the  night  the  rebel  army  marched  back  to  Cawn- 
pore, which  they  invested  the  next  morning;  the  last 
message  from  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler  came  through  on  that 
day,  fighting  having  begun  at  half-past  ten  in  the 
morning. 

The  first  proceeding  of  the  mutineers  was  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  native  town  of  Cawnpore,  where  the  houses 
of  the  peaceable  and  wealthy  inhabitants  were  at  once 
broken  open  and  plundered,  and  many  respectable 
natives  slaughtered. 

The  bombardment  of  the  British  position  began  on  the 
6th,  and  continued  with  daily  increasing  fury.  Every 
attempt  to  carry  the  place  by  storm  was  repelled,  but  the 
Bufferings  of  the  besieged  were  frightful.  There  was  but 
one  well,  in  the  middle  of  the  intrenchments,  and  upon 
this  by  night  and  by  day  the  enemy  concentrated  their 
fire,  so  that  it  might  be  said  that  every  bucket  of  water 
cost  a  man's  life. 

After  four  or  five  days  of  incessant  bombardment,  the 
enemy  took  to  firing  red-hot  shot,  and  on  the  13th  the 
barracks  were  set  on  fire,  and  a  strong  wind  blowing,  the 
lire  spread  so  rapidly  that  upward  of  fifty  sick  and  wounded 
were  burned.  The  other  buildings  were  so  riddled  with 
shot  and  shell  that  they  afforded  scarcely  any  shelter. 
Many  of  the  besieged  made  holes  in  the  ground  or  under 
the  banks  of  the  intrenchments;  but  the  deaths  from  sun- 
stroke and  fever  were  even  more  numerous  than  thosa 
caused  by  the  murderous  and  incessant  fire. 

In  the  city  a  reign  of  terror  prevailed.  All  the  native 
Christians  were  massacred,  with  their  wives  and  families ; 
and  every  white  prisoner    brought  in — and  they  were 


154  W  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

many — man,  woman,  or  child,  was  taken  before  the  Nan* 
and  murdered  by  his  orders. 

Day  by  day  the  sufferings  of  the  garrison  in  the  in- 
trenchments  became  greater  and  the  mortality  among  tha 
women  and  children  was  terrible.  Every  day  saw  the 
army  of  the  Nana  increasing  by  the  arrival  of  mutineers 
from  other  quarters,  until  it  reached  a  total  of  over 
twelve  thousand  men,  while  the  fighting  force  of  the  gar- 
rison had  greatly  decreased ;  yet  the  handful  of  English- 
men repulsed  every  effort  of  the  great  host  of  assailants 
to  carry  the  fragile  line  of  intrenchments. 

When  Ned  and  Dick  Warrener,  having  carried  out  the 
instructions  given  them  by  the  ranee,  arrived  nest  morn- 
ing at  her  house  at  Cawnpore,  Ahrab  at  once  led  them  to 
a  small  apartment. 

"I  have  much  news  to  tell  you.  The  fighting  is  over 
here.  The  Nana  sent  in  a  messenger  to  the  English 
sahibs  to  say  that  if  they  would  give  up  the  place,  with 
the  guns  and  treasure,  he  would  grant  a  free  passage  for 
all ;  and  the  Nana  and  his  Hindoo  officers  have  sworn  the 
sacred  oath  of  our  religion,  and  the  Mohammedans  have 
sworn  on  the  Khoran  that  these  conditions  shall  be  ob- 
served. Boats  are  to  be  provided  for  them  all.  They 
leave  to-morrow  at  dawn.  Her  highness  the  ranee  will 
shelter  you  here  if  you  like  to  stay ;  but  if  you  wish  it 
you  can  go  at  daybreak  and  join  your  countrymen." 

With  many  thanks  for  the  ranee's  offer,  the  boys  at 
once  decided  to  join  their  countrymen,  and  accordingly 
next  morning,  after  a  kind  farewell  from  their  protect- 
ress, they  started  before  daybreak  under  charge  of  their 
driver  of  the  day  before,  and,  still  in  their  disguises  of 
native  women,  made  their  way  to  a  point  on  the  line  of 
route  outside  the  town.  There  were  but  few  people 
here,  and  just  as  day  broke,  the  head  of  the  sad  proees- 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  155 

eioa  came  along.  The  'women  and  children,  the  sick  and 
wounded — among  the  latter  Sir  H.  Wheeler,  the  gallant 
commander  of  the  garrison — were  in  wagons  provided  by 
the  Nana;  the  remnant  of  the  fighting  men  marched 
afterward.  Hastily  dropping  their  women's  robes,  the 
boys  slipped  in  among  the  troops,  unnoticed  by  any  of 
the  guards  of  Nana's  troops  who  were  escorting  the  pro- 
cession. 

A  few  words  explained  to  their  surprised  compatriots 
that  they  were  fugitives  who  had  been  in  shelter  in  the 
town,  and  many  a  word  of  welcome  was  muttered  and 
furtive  handshakes  given.  In  return  the  boys  were  able 
to  give  the  news  of  the  arrival  of  the  British  before 
Delhi,  and  the  commencement  of  the  siege,  all  of  which 
was  new  to  the  garrison,  who  had  been  for  twenty-two 
days  without  a  word  from  the  outer  world.  At  last  the 
column  reached  the  ghat,  or  landing  place,  fixed  upon  for 
their  embarkation. 

Here  seventeen  or  eighteen  boats  were  collected.  The 
way  down  to  the  river  was  steep,  for  the  bank  of  the 
Ganges  is  here  rather  high  and  covered  with  thick  jungle. 
At  the  top  of  the  ghat  is  a  small  Hindoo  temple.  The 
wounded  and  sick  were  carried  down  the  bank  and  placed 
in  the  boats,  the  ladies  and  children  took  their  places, 
the  officers  and  men  then  followed.  "When  all  was  ready, 
the  Nana's  officer  suddenly  called  the  native  boatmen  to 
come  ashore  to  receive  their  wages  for  the  passage  down 
to  Benares. 

Then,  as  if  by  magic,  from  out  the  thick  jungle  on 
both  sides  of  the  path  to  the  ghat,  hundreds  of  Sepoys 
rushed ;  while  at  the  same  moment  lines  of  bushes  fell  to 
the  ground,  and  showed  a  number  of  cannon,  all  placed 
in  position.  In  a  moment  a  tremendous  fire  was  opened 
upon  the  unhappy  fugitives.     Numbers  of  them  were  at 


156  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

once  killed  in  the  boats;  some  jumped  into  the  water, 
and  pushing  the  boats  afloat,  made  for  the  opposite  shore ; 
while  others  leaped  into  the  river  on  the  deeper  side  and 
tried  to  escape  by  swimming.  But  upon  the  other  shore 
were  enemies  as  bloodthirsty  as  those  they  left  behind, 
for  there  the  Sepoys  of  the  Seventeenth  Native  Regiment, 
who  had  mutinied  at  Azimghur,  were  posted,  and  these 
cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  fugitives  there.  Then  all  the 
boats,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  which  had 
drifted  down  stream,  followed  by  bands  of  Sepoys  with 
cannon  on  either  bank,  were  brought  back  to  the  starting 
place,  which  is  known,  and  will  be  known  through  all 
time,  as  "the  slaughter  ghat."  There  all  the  men  still 
alive  were  taken  on  shore  and  shot ;  while  the  women  and 
children,  many  of  them  bleeding  from  wounds,  were 
taken  off  to  a  house  formerly  belonging  to  the  medical 
department  of  the  European  troops,  called  the  Subada 
Khotee. 

Dick  and  Ned  Warrener  were  in  one  of  the  boats  which' 
were  still  ashore  when  the  treacherous  Sepoys  burst 
from  their  hiding  place.  "The  scoundrels!"  burst  from 
Ned  indignantly;  while  Dick,  seeing  at  a  glance  the 
hopelessness  of  their  position,  grasped  his  brother's  arm. 

"We  must  swim  for  it,  Ned.  Take  a  long  dive  and  go 
under  again  the  moment  you  have  got  breath." 

Without  an  instant's  delay  the  brothers  leaped  into  tha 
water,  as  dozens  of  others  were  doing,  and  although  each 
time  their  heads  came  up  for  an  instant  the  bullets 
splashed  around  them,  they  kept  on  untouched  until 
they  reached  the  center  of  the  stream.  They  were  still 
within  musket  range,  but  the  distance  was  sufficient  to 
render  them  pretty  safe  except  against  an  accidental 
shot.  They  looked  back  and  saw  the  Sepoys  had  many  of 
them  entered  the  river  up  to  their  shoulders  to  shoot  tha 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  157 

gwimmers ;  others  on  horseback  had  ridden  far  out,  and 
were  cutting  down  those  who>  unable  to  swim  far,  made 
again  toward  shallow  water ;  while  cannon  and  muskets 
still  poured  in  their  fire  against  the  helpless  crowds  in 
the  boats. 

"Look,  Ned,  it  is  of  no  use  making  for  the  other 
shore, "  Dick  said ;  "there  is  another  body  of  the  wretches 
there;  we  must  simply  float  down  the  stream  in  the 
middle.  If  we  keep  on  our  backs  and  sink  as  low  as  we 
can  so  as  to  show  only  our  noses  and  mouths  above 
water,  they  may  fire  for  a  week  without  hitting  us. 
There,  give  me  your  hand,  so  that  we  may  float  together ; 
I  will  look  up  from  time  to  time  to  see  that  we  are  float- 
ing pretty  fairly  in  the  middle.  I  will  do  it  quickly,  so 
as  not  to  be  seen,  for  if  we  lie  still  on  our  backs  they 
won't  watch  us  after  a  time,  but  will  take  us  for  two 
drifting  dead  bodies.  Now,  old  boy!"  So  saying,  the 
lads  turned  on  their  backs,  and  occasionally  giving  a 
quiet  stroke  with  their  legs,  or  paddling  with  their 
hands,  drifted  down  stream,  showing  so  little  of  Ltheir 
faces  above  water  that  they  could  scarcely  have  been  seen 
from  the  shore. 

Both  the  lads  were  good  swimmers,  but  Dick  was  per- 
fectly at  home  in  the  water;  and  Ned,  knowing  his  own 
inferiority  in  this  respect,  left  himself  entirely  in  his 
brother's  hands.  Soon  Dick,  in  his  quick  glances  to  note 
their  position,  perceived  that  three  boats  alone  of  all 
the  number  had  got  fairly  away  down  stream — that  their 
occupants  had  got  out  oars  and  were  quickly  coming  up 
to  the  swimmers ;  but  he  saw,  too,  that  on  both  banks  the 
!3epoy  guns  kept  abreast  of  them,  and  that  a  fire  of  artillery 
sand  musketry  -was  maintained.  For  a  moment  he 
thought  of  being  taken  on  board;  but  their  chance  of 
escaping  the  fire  centered  upon  them    seemed  hopeless 


1 53  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL, 

and  he  j  udged  it  was  better  to  keep  on  in  the  water.  Ha 
r  ccordingly  paddled  himself  out  of  the  center  of  the 
stream,  so  as  to  give  the  boats  a  wide  berth,  trusting  that 
the  attention  of  the  enemy  would  be  so  much  directed  at 
the  boats  that  the  floating  bodies  would  be  unnoticed. 
As  to  keeping  afloat  for  any  time  he  had  no  fear  what- 
ever. The  water  of  Indian  rivers  in  the  heat  of  summer 
is  so  warm  that  swimmers  can  remain  in  them  for  many 
hours  without  any  feeling  of  chill  or  discomfort. 

An  hour  later  Dick  lifted  his  head  and  looked  forward. 
The  firing  was  two  miles  ahead  now.  But  one  boat  of 
the  three  still  floated,  and  Dick  congratulated  himself 
that  he  had  decided  not  to  join  his  fate  to  that  of  those 
on  board.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  and  still  the  boys 
,  floated  on,  until  at  last  the  sun  went  down,  dusk  came 
and  went,  and  when  all  was  dark  they  turned  on  their 
faces  and  swam  quietly  down  the  stream.  For  many 
hours,  alternately  swimming  and  floating,  they  kept  their 
course  down  the  river,  until  toward  morning  they  gently 
paddled  ashore,  crept  into  the  thick  jungle  of  the  bank, 
and  fell  asleep  almost  instantly. 

It  was  dusk  again  before  they  awoke.  They  were  des- 
perately hungry,  but  they  agreed  to  spend  one  more 
night  in  the  river  before  searching  for  food,  so  as  to  put 
as  much  distance  as  'possible  between  themselves  and 
Cawnpore.  They  had  been  twenty  hours  in  the  water 
before,  and  allowing  two  miles  an  hour  for  the  current, 
and  something  for  their  swimming,  they  calculated  that 
Oawnpore  mast  be  forty-six  or  forty-seven  miles  behind. 
Eight  hours  more  steady  swimming  added  twenty  to  this, 
and  they  landed  again  with  a  hope  that  Nana  Sahib's 
ferocious  bands  must  have  been  left  behind,  and  that 
they  had  now  only  the  ordinary  danger  of  travel  in  such 
times,  through  a  hostile  country  to  face. 


ZZV  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ±8$ 

It  yet  wanted  an  hour  or  so  of  daybreak,  and  they 
struck  off  at  right  angles  to  the  river  and  walked  till  it 
"became  light,  when  they  entered  a  small  wood  near  to 
which  was  a  hut.  Watching  this  closely,  they  saw  only 
an  old  man  come  out,  and  at  once  made  to  it,  and  asked 
him  for  food  and  shelter.  Recovered  from  his  first  sur- 
prise he  received  them  kindly,  and  gave  them  the  best 
which  his  hut,  in  which  he  lived  alone  with  his  wife, 
afforded.  A  meal  of  cakes  and  parched  grain  greatly 
revived  them,  and  after  a  long  sleep  they  started  again 
at  nightfall,  with  enough  food  for  the  next  two  days' 
supply.  That  they  were  not  ahead  of  all  their  foes  was 
certain,  from  the  fact  that  the  peasant  said  that  he  had 
heard  firing  on  the  river  bank  on  the  previous  day. 
They  knew  by  this  also  that  the  one  boat  ahead  of  them 
had  at  any  rate  escaped  its  perils  of  the  first  day. 

For  two  more  nights  they  walked,  passing  one  day  in 
a  thick  wood,  the  other  in  a  ruined  temple,  their  hopes 
rising;  for,  as  they  knew,  the  further  they  got  from 
Cawnpore  the  less  likely  the  country  people  were  to  be 
hostile. 

The  third  morning  they  again  entered  a  hut  to  ask  for 
food. 

"I  will  give  you  food, "  the  peasant  said,  "but  you 
had  better  go  to  the  rajah's — his  house  is  over  there,  half 
an  hour's  walk.  He  has  four  Englishmen  there  who 
came  from  the  river,  and  he  is  the  friend  of  the  Fering- 
hees." 

Delighted  at  the  news  the  boys  went  forward.  As 
they  entered  the  courtyard  of  the  house  they  were 
greeted  with  a  hearty  salutation  in  English,  and  their 
hands  were  clasped  a  moment  afterward  by  Lieutenant 
Delafosse,  an  officer  who  had  greatly  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  defence  of  Cawnpore,  and  was  one  of  the  few 


leo  JOT  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

survivors.  He  took  them  in  to  the  rahja,  who  received 
them  most  kindly,  and  after  they  had  been  fed,  Lieu- 
tenant Delafosse  told  them  how  he  and  his  three  com- 
rades had  escaped. 

The  boat  had,  although  many  on  board  had  been  hit 
by  rifle  balls,  escaped  the  first  day.  She  was  crowded, 
and  very  low  in  the  water,  having  on  board  most  of  those 
who  had  been  in  the  two  boats  sunk  by  the  enemy.  The 
next  day  they  were  again  fired  at  without  effect  by  artil- 
lery, infantry  accompanying  the  boat  all  day,  and  keep- 
ing up  an  incessant  fire.  On  the  third  day  the  boat  was 
no  longer  serviceable  and  grounded  on  a  sand  bank. 
Then  the  enemy's  infantry  fired  so  heavily  that  those 
still  able  to  carry  arms,  fourteen  in  number,  made  for  the 
shore  and  attacked  their  foes.  These  fell  back,  and  the 
handful  of  Englishmen  followed  them.  Great  numbers 
of  the  enemy  now  came  up,  and  the  English  took  refuge  in 
a  little  temple;  here  they  defended  themselves  till  the 
enemy  piled  bushes  at  the  entrance  and  set  them  on  fire. 
Then  the  English  burst  through  the  flames  and  made 
again  for  the  river.  Seven  out  of  the  twelve  who  got 
through  the  fire  reached  the  river,  but  of  these  two  were 
shot  before  they  had  swum  far.  Three  miles  lower  down 
one  of  the  survivors,  an  artilleryman  swimming  on  his 
back,  went  too  near  the  bank  and  was  killed.  Six  miles 
lower  down  the  firing  ceased,  and  soon  afterward  the  four 
survivors  were  hailed  by  natives,  who  shouted  to  them  to 
come  ashore,  as  their  master,  the  rajah,  was  friendly  to 
the  English.  They  did  so,  and  were  most  kindly  're- 
ceived by  him. 

An  abundant  meal  and  another  good  sleep  did  wonders 
for  the  young  Warreners,  and  the  next  morning  they 
determined  to  set  out  to  join  their  countrymen  at  Allaha- 
bad, where   they  expected  to  find   their   father  and  his 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  161 

troops.  The  rajah  and  their  fellow-countrymen  endeav- 
ored in  vain  to  dissuade  them,  hut  the  former,  finding 
ih&t  tfoey  were  determined,  gave  them  dresses  as  native 
WOUlO&j  tenished  them  with  a  guide,  and  sent  them 
across  th©  river  in  a  boat — for  they  were  on  the  Oude 
a  message  to  a  zemindar  there  to  help  them 


|6£  El  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

BETRIBUTION    BEGINS. 

The  zemindar  to   whom   the   Warreners'    guide   con- 
ducted them,  after  crossing  the  Ganges,  received  them 
kindly,  and  told  them   that  the   safest  way  would  be  for 
them  to  go  on  in  a  hackery,  or  native   cart,  and  placed 
one  at  once    at  their   disposal,    with  a  trusty  man  as  a 
driver,  and  another  to  accompany  them  in  the  hackery. 
He  told  them  that  British  troops  were,  it  was  said,  arriv- 
ing fast  at  Allahabad,  and  that  it  was  even  reported  that 
an  advance  had  already  taken  place.     Nana  Sahib  would, 
it  was  said,  meet  them  at  Futtehpore,  a  place  forty-eight 
miles  from  Cawnpore,  and   seventy-five  from  Allahabad. 
As  yet,  however,  none  of  his  troops  had  reached  Futteh- 
pore, which  was  fortunate,  for  the  main  road  ran  through 
that  place,  which  was   but  twenty  miles  from  the  point 
where  they  had   crossed  the  Ganges;  and  although  they 
would  keep  by  a  road  near    the   river,  and  so  avoid  the 
town,  the  Nana's  troops  would  be  sure  to  be  scouring  the 
country.      This   news   decided   them  not  to   accept    the 
zemindar's  invitation  to  stay  the  night  and  start  the  next 
morning   early.     It  was   still   but  little  past  noon,  and 
they  might  do  many  miles  before  darkness. 

Before  they  halted  the  party  had  made  fifteen  miles, 
and  in  passing  through  a  village  learned  the  welcome 
news  that  a  small  English  force  had  advanced  to  Synee, 
some  ten  miles  only  beyond  Futtehpore.      This  force  had, 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  163 

ih  was  said,  met  with  little  resistance  as  yet,  and  the 
country  people  were  full  of  stories  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  Sepoys  and  other  who  had  been  engaged  with 
them  were,  as  soon  as  captured,  hung  up  in  numbers. 
Already,  in  the  minds  of  the  peasantry,  the  idea  that  the 
British  would  be  the  final  conquerors  in  the  strife  was 
gaining  ground;  and  as  the  whole  country  had  suffered 
from  the  exactions  and  insolence  of  the  triumphant 
Sepoys,  and  life  and  property  were  no  longer  safe  for  a 
moment,  the  secret  sympathy  of  all  those  who  had  any- 
thing to  lose  were  with  the  advancing  British  force. 

The  next  day  the  party  followed  the  road  near  the  river 
all  day,  as  they  feared  to  fall  either  into  the  hands  of 
Sepoys  retiring  before  the  English,  or  of  those  coming 
down  from  Cawnpore.  They  halted  for  the  night  at  a 
village  whence  a  road  ran  direct  to  Synee,  which  was 
about  eight  miles  distant.  The  villagers  repeated  that 
the  Sepoys  had  all  fallen  back,  and  that  there  would  be 
a  great  fight  at  Futtehpore.  The  English  force  was 
small,  but  a  large  body  were  on  their  way  up  from  Alla- 
habad. 

The  boys  started  at  daybreak,  and  had  proceeded 
about  three  miles  when  a  body  of  cavalry  were  seen 
rapidly  approaching. 

The  driver  of  the  hackery  put  his  head  inside  the 
leather  curtain  of  the  vehicle. 

"English,"  he  said.  The  boys  looked  out  and  gave 
a  shout  of  joy  as  they  saw  the  well-known  uniforms;  and 
regardless  of  their  women's  robes,  they  leaped  out  and 
ran  to  meet  them.  The  advanced  guard  of  the  cavalry 
stopped  in  surprise. 

"Halloo!  what  is  up?  who  are  you?" 

"Why,  Dunlop,  don't  you  know  us?"  the  boys  shouted. 

"The  Warreners!"  exclaimed  Captain  Dunlop,  leaping 


1(54  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

ii-om  his  horse  and  seizing  them  by  the  hand.      "My  dear 
boys,  this  is  joy." 

The  men  set  up  a  cheer,  which  was  caught  up  by  the 
main  body  as  they  came  up,  and  in  another  minute  the 
boys  were  in  their  father's  arms. 

The  young  Warreners  had  been  mourned  as  dead,  for 
no  one  doubted  that  they  had  been  carried  to  Cawnpore, 
and  had  shared  the  fate  of  the  garrison  of  that  place ;  and 
the  joy  of  their  father  therefore  was  intense,  while  the 
whole  corps,  with  whom  the  boys  were  general  favorites, 
were  delighted. 

After  the  first  rapturous  greeting  Major  Warrener  took 
off  his  cap  reverently,  and  said  a  few  words  of  deep  grati- 
tude to  God,  the  men  all  baring  their  heads  as  he  did  so. 
Then  Captain  Kent  said : 

"Shall  I  push  on  to  the  Ganges,  major,  with  my 
troop?  or  perhaps  your  sons  can  tell  us  what  we  are  or- 
dered to  find  out?" 

"What  is  it?"  Ned  asked. 

"Whether  there  are  any  bodies  of  troops  pushing  down 
by  the  river.  It  would  not  do  for  them  to  get  behind  us 
and  threaten  our  communications." 

The  boys  were  able  to  affirm  that  there  was  no  body  of 
mutineers  near  the  Ganges  below  Futtehpore,  as  they 
had  just  come  down  that  way. 

"Then  we  can  ride  back  at  once,"  Major  Warrener 
eaid.  "Major  Kenaud  was  on  the  point  of  marching  when 
we  started,  and  he  will  be  glad  to  have  us  back  again. 
First,  though,  what  have  these  natives  done  for  you?" 

Ned  in  a  few  words  explained  that  they  came  by  the 
instruction  of  their  master,  and  had  been  with  them  for 
three  days. 

The  major  made  them  a  handsome  present,  and  sent  a 
message  to  the  zemindar,  to  the  effect  that  his  kindness 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  165 

would  be  reported  to  the  government ;  and  Dick  scribbled 
a  few  words  to  Lieutenant  Delaf osse,  with  the  news  of  the 
British  advance,  and  a  kind  message  to  the  rajah. 

"Now,  Dick,  you  jump  up  behind  me,"  his  father  said, 
"Dunlop  can  take  you,  Ned;  and  you  can  give  us  a 
short  account  of  what  has  befallen  you  as  we  ride  back. 
"We  must  get  you  a  couple  of  horses  of  some  kind  or 
another  at  Synee.  Can't  you  cast  off  these  women's 
clothes?" 

"We  have  got  nothing  to  speak  of  underneath,"  Dick 
laughed;  "we  got  rid  of  our  uniforms  in  the  Ganges, 
and  want  a  rig  out  from  top  to  toe." 

"Well,  we  must  see  what  we  can  do  for  you  to-night. 
And  now,"  he  asked,  as  they  trotted  along  at  the  head 
of  the  column,  amid  the  smiles  of  the  men  at  the  ap- 
pearance of  their  commanding  officer  carrying  as  it  seemed, 
a  native  woman  en  croupe,  "how  did  you  escape,, 
boys?  We  did  not  miss  you  until  we  halted  for  half  an 
hour  at  midnight.  Then  six  of  us  rode  back  ten  miles, 
but  could  find  no  trace  of  you,  and  we  gave  you  up  as 
lost;  so  we  rode  on  till  we  met  Major  Renaud's  force 
coming  up,  when  we  sent  our  rescued  friends  on  to 
Allahabad,  and  turned  back  with  just  a  shadow  of  hope 
that  we  might  yet  find  you  alive  somewhere  or  other. ' ' 

Dick  then  told  the  story  of  the  intervention  of  the 
tiger  in  their  behalf,  and  said  that  afterward  an  Indian 
lady  had  succored  them,  hinting  that  at  the  end  of  the 
war  it  was  probable  that  Ned  would  present  his  father 
with  a  daughter-in-law. 

"That's  all  very  well,"  Ned  laughed.  "If  Dick  had 
understood  the  language  I  should  have  been  nowhere. 
You  should  have  seen  him  kiss  her  hand. ' ' 

"Well,  anyhow,"  Dick  said,  "she  was  a  brick,  father,, 
and  no  mistake." 


jqq  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

By  this  time  Synee  was  reached.  In  spite  of  Maior 
"Warrener's  liberal  offers  no  horses,  or  even  ponies,  were 
forthcoming,  so  completely  had  the  Sepoys  stripped  the 
country,  most  of  the  villages  having  been  burned  as  well 
as  plundered  by  them.  From  the  valises  of  the  troop 
various  articles  of  clothing  were  contributed,  which 
enabled  the  lads  again  to  take  their  places  in  the  ranks, 
but  riding  as  before  en  croupe.  In  two  hours  after  their 
arrival  at  Synee  they  were  moving  forward  again  at  a 
trot,  and  in  four  hours  came  up  with  Major  Renaud's 
force,  encamped  for  the  day. 

They  were  glad  to  get  in,  for  the  rain  since  they  left 
Synee  had  been  falling  in  sheets.  The  force  was  fortu- 
nately moving  now  along  the  grand^trunk  road,  a  splendid 
piece  of  road-making,  extending  from  Calcutta  to  Pesha- 
wur,  for  already  the  country  roads  would  have  been 
almost  impassable. 

"Do  we  halt  here  for  the  day?"  Ned  asked  his  father, 
as  they  drew  rein  in  the  camp. 

"Yes,  Dick;  the  enemy  are  in  force  at  Futtehpore, 
which  is  only  some  fourteen  miles  away.  Havelock  is 
coming  up  by  double  marches.  He  halted  last  night 
fifteen  miles  the  other  side  of  Synee.  To-day  he  will 
reach  Synee ;  will  bivouac  there  for  a  few  hours,  and  will 
march  on  here  in  the  night.  "We  are  to  be  under  arms 
by  the  time  he  will  arrive,  and  the  whole  of  us  will  push 
forward  to  Khaga,  five  miles  this  side  of  Futtehpore. 
So  Havelock 's  men  will  have  marched  twenty-four  miles 
straight  off,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fifteen  to-day.  The 
troops  could  not  do  it  were  it  not  that  every  one  is  burn- 
ing to  get  to  Cawnpore  to  avenge  the  murder  of  our 
comrades  and  to  rescue  the  women  and  children  if  it  be 
yet  time. ' ' 

The  boys  were  at  once  taken  by  their  father  to  Major. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  16? 

Xtenaud,  who  welcomed  them  warmly.  This  officer  had 
under  his  command  a  force  of  four  hundred  British  and 
four  hundred  and  twenty  native  troops,  with  two  pieces 
of  cannon. 

After  being  introduced  to  Major  Eenaud  the  boys  went 
to  the  tents  allotted  to  their  corps,  which  were  already 
pitched,  and  Major  Warrener  asked  the  officers,  and  as 
many  of  the  volunteers  as  his  tent  would  hold,  to  listen 
to  the  account  of  the  massacre  of  Cawnpore,  which  was 
now  for  the  first  time  authentically  told ;  for  hitherto 
only  native  reports  had  come  down  from  the  city.  Great 
was  the  indignation  and  fury  with  which  the  tale  of 
black  treachery  and  foul  murder  was  heard ;  and  when 
the  story  was  told,  it  had  to  be  repeated  to  the  officers  of 
the  other  corps  in  camp. 

The  terrible  tale  soon  spread  through  the  camp ;  and 
men  gnashed  their  teeth  in  rage  and  swore  bitter  oaths — • 
which  were  terribly  kept — to  avenge  the  deeds  that  had" 
been  committed.  Uppermost  of  all,  however,  was  the 
anxiety  about  the  women  and  children ;  for  the  boys  had 
heard,  when  staying  at  the  friendly  rajah's,  that  near  one 
hundred  and  twenty  of  these  unfortunates,  the  survivors 
of  the  siege,  and  of  the  river  attack,  had  been  shut  up  in 
a  room  in  the  Cawnpore  lines. 

At  three  o'clock  next  morning,  the  11th  of  July,  the 
troops  were  under  arms,  the  tents  struck,  and  all  in 
readiness  for  an  advance.  Presently  a  dull  sound  was 
heard;  it  grew  louder,  and  the  head  of  General  Have- 
lock's  column  came  up. 

There  was  a  short  halt  while  Major  Eenaud  reported 
to  the  general  the  state  of  affairs  in  front,  as  far  as  he 
knew  them.  He  mentioned,  too,  that  two  survivors  of 
the  Cawnpore  massacre  had  that  day  come  in,  and  that 
four  others  were  in  shelter  with  a  native  rajah  on  the 


168  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Oude  side  of  the  Ganges.  The  general  at  once  requested 
that  the  "Warreners  should  be  brought  up  to  him ;  and 
the  lads  were  accordingly  presented  to  the  man  whose 
name,  hitherto  unknown  outside  military  circles,  was — ■ 
in  consequence  of  the  wonderful  succession  of  battles 
and  of  victories  of  which  that  date,  the  12th  of  July,  was 
to  mark  the  first — to  become  a  household  word  in 
England. 

"The  column  had  better  move  forward,  Major  Renaud; 
your  division  will  lead.  If  you  will  ride  by  me,  gentle- 
men, you  can  tell  me  of  this  dreadful  business  as  wa 
go." 

Fortunately  there  were  several  horses  in  Major 
Renaud 's  camp,  which  had  been  taken  from  men  of  tha 
enemy's  cavalry  who  had  been  surprised  in  the  upward 
march,  and  two  of  them  had  been  assigned  to  the  bo3ra, 
so  that  they  were  able  to  feel  once  more  as  soldiers. 

On  arriving  at  Khaga,  an  insignificant  village,  Gen- 
eral Havelock  said  to  the  lads : 

"  Thank  you  very  much  for  your  information.  You 
have  behaved  with  great  coolness  and  courage,  and  Major 
"Warrener,  your  father,  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of 
you.  I  am  short  of  aides-de-camp,  and  shall  be  glad  if 
you  will  act  as  my  gallopers" — an  honor  which,  it  need 
hardly  be  said,  the  boys  joyfully  accepted. 

The  following  was  the  total  force  under  General  Have- 
lock's  command  when  he  commenced  the  series  of  battles 
which  were  finally  to  lead  him  to  Lucknow :  Sevent3r- 
six  men  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  three  hundred  and 
seventy-sis  of  the  Madras  Fusiliers,  four  hundred  and 
thirty-five  of  the  Sixty-fourth  Regiment,  two  hundred 
and  eighty-four  of  the  Seventy-eighth  Highlanders,  one 
hundred  and  ninety  men  of  the  Eighty-fourth  Regiment, 
twenty -two  men  of  the  Bengal  Artillery.     Total  of  British 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

regular  troops,  one  thousand  three  hundred  and 
eighty-three,  with  eight  guns.  Besides  these  he  had 
Warrener's  Horse.  Of  natives  he  had  the  Ferozepore 
Regiment  (Sikhs),  four  hundred  and  forty-eight  strong, 
ninety -five  men  of  the  native  irregular  cavalry,  who  were 
worse  than  useless,  and  eighteen  mounted  native  police. 

The  order  for  a  halt  was  welcome  indeed  to  the  troops. 
Havelock's  column  had  marched  twenty-four  miles  with- 
out resting  or  eating,  and  fires  were  speedily  lighted  and 
preparation  made  for  breakfast.  Major  Tytler,  quarter- 
master-general to  the  force,  had,  on  arriving  at  the 
halting-place,  taken  twenty  of  Warrener's  Horse  and  had 
gone  forward  to  reconnoiter.  The  water  was  growing- 
hot,  and  the  tired  soldiers  as  they  lay  on  the  ground, 
pipes  in  mouths,  were  thinking  that  breakfast  would  soon 
foe  ready,  when  there  was  an  exclamation. 
|     "Here  come  the  Horse!     Something's  up!" 

The  reconnoitering  party  were  seen  galloping  back  at 
lull  speed,  and  a  minute  or  two  later  a  large  body  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry  in  rapid  pursuit  emerged  from  a  tope 
on  the  edge  of  the  plain.  The  bugles  sounded  to  arms, 
and  the  men  grasped  their  firearms  and  fell  in,  but  not 
without  many  a  muttered  exclamation  of  disgust. 
.  "Confound  them!  they  might  have  given  us  time  for 
breakfast!" 

"They  need  not  be  in  such  a  hurry;  the    day's    long 
enough." 

"I  thought  I  hated  them  fellows  as  bad  as  a  chap  could 
do ;  but  I  owe  them  another  now. ' ' 

A  laugh  was  raised  by  a  young  officer  saying  cheerily 
to  his  men,  "Never  mind,    lads,   we'll  return  good  for 
evil.     They  won't  let  us  have  enough  to  eat,  and  we  are 
going  to  give  them  more  than  they  can  digest. ' ' 
\  In  a  very  short  time  a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy's 


170  -EV  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  — T ' 

infantry  appeared,  following  the  cavalry,  and  with  them1 
were  some  guns,  which  at  once  opened  on  the  British 
force. 

Hitherto  General  Havelock  had  made  no  move.  He 
knew  that  his  men  urgently  needed  rest  and  food.  The 
sun  had  come  out,  and  was  blazing  fiercely ;  and  it  was 
of  great  importance  that  the  troops  should  eat  before  un- 
dertaking what  could  not  but  be  a  heavy  morning's  work; 
but  the  enemy,  who  believed  that  they  had  only  Major 
Eenaud's  weak  force  before  them,  pressed  forward  so 
boldly  that  there  was  no  refusing  the  challenge  so  offered. 
The  order  was  given  to  advance,  and  the  men,  with  a 
hearty  cheer,  moved  forward  against  the  enemy,  whose 
force  consisted  of  fifteen  hundred  Sepoys,  fifteen  hundred 
Oude  tribesmen,  and  five  hundred  rebel  cavalry,  with 
twelve  guns.  Their  position  was  a  strong  one,  for  on 
each  side  of  the  road  the  plain  was  a  swamp,  and  in  many 
places  was  two  and  even  more  feet  under  water.  In 
front,  on  a  rising  ground,  were  some  villages  with  gar- 
dens and  mango  groves,  and  behind  this  Futtehpore 
itself,  with  gardens  with  high  walls,  and  many  houses  of 
solid  masonry. 

It  may,  however,  be  said  that  the  fight  was  decided  as 
soon  as  begun.  The  British  artillery  silenced  that  of  the 
enemy;  the  British  rifles  drove  their  infantry  before 
them.  "Warrener's  Horse  and  the  irregular  cavalry  moved 
on  the  flank,  the  infantry  marched  straight  through  the 
swamps,  and  while  some  of  the  guns  kept  on  the  solid 
road,  others  had  to  be  dragged  and  pushed,  with  im- 
mense labor,  through  the  morass.  As  the  British  ad- 
vanced, the  enemy  fell  back,  abandoning  gun  after  gun. 
The  general  of  the  Sepoy  force  was  on  an  elephant,  on 
rising  ground  in  the  rear  of  his  troops,  and  Captain 
Maude,  who  commanded  the  artillery,   by  a  well-aimed 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  171 

Eliot  knocked  the  elephant  over,  to  the  great  delight  of 
the  gunners.  After  that  the  rebels  attempted  no  further 
resistance,  and  fled  to  Futtehpore.  There  they  prepared 
to  make  a  stand  in  the  houses  and  gardens ;  but  our  men, 
whose  blood  was  now  thoroughly  up,  and  who  were  dis- 
gusted at  their  failure  to  get  at  their  foe,  went  forward 
with  a  rush,  and  the  enemy  fled  without  hesitation, 
•i-  The  streets  of  Futtehpore  were  absolutely  choked  with 
the  baggage  train  of  the  defeated  rebels,  and  the  dis- 
covery of  many  articles  of  attire  of  English  ladies  and 
,  children  raised  the  fury  of  the  troops  to  the  highest 
point.  Pursuit  of  the  enemy  was,  however,  impossible. 
The  troops  were  utterly  exhausted,  and  officers  and  men 
threw  themselves  down  wherever  a  little  shade  could  be 
found.  At  three  o'clock  the  baggage  came  up,  and  by 
the  forethought  of  the  commissariat  officer  in  charge 
some  camels  laden  with  rum  and  biscuit  came  up  with  it, 
so  that  the  men  were  able  to  have  a  biscuit  and  a  little 
spirits  and  water,  which  revived  them ;  for  whatever  be 
.  the  demerits  of  spirits  upon  ordinary  occasions,  on  an 
emergency  of  this  kind  it  is  a  restorative  of  a  very  valu- 
able kind.  j 

Singularly  enough,  in  this  battle,  in  which  three  thou- 
sand five  hundred  men  were  defeated  and  twelve  guns 
captured,  not  a  single  British  soldier  was  killed,  the 
enemy  never  waiting  until  fairly  within  shot.  Twelve 
soldiers,  however,  fell  and  died  from  sunstroke  during 
the  fight. 

On  the  13th  the  troops  halteg  to  rest.  The  guns  taken 
from  the  enemy  were  brought  in,  and  the  great  baggage 
train  captured  in  the  town  organized  for  our  own  service. 

On  the  14th  the  force  again  advanced,  along  a  road 
literally  strewn  with  arms,  cartridges,  chests  of  ammuni- 
tion, shot,  clothing,  and  tents,  abandoned  in  their  flight 


172  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

by  the  insurgents.  The  most  welcome  find  to  the  army 
were  forty  barrels  of  English  porter,  part  of  the  Sepoy3* 
loot  at  one  of  the  scenes  of  mutiny.  That  night  the  force 
encamped  at  Kulleanpore,  twenty-seven  miles  from  Cawn- 
pore.  I 

"So  far  it  has  been  easy  work,  except  for  the  legs,". 
Major  Warrener  said,  as  he  sat  with  his  sons  and  hia 
officers  on  the  evening  of  the  13th;  "but  it  will  be  very, 
different  work  now.  These  scoundrels  are  fighting  with 
ropes  round  their  necks ;  they  know  that  every  Cawnpora 
-Sepoy  who  falls  into  our  hands  will  have  but  a  short 
shrift,  and  they  can't  help  fighting.  Altogether,  theyj 
have  something  like  five  times  our  force;  and  as  they, 
have  all  been  most  carefully  drilled  and  trained  by  our- J 
selves,  the  scoundrels   ought  to  make  a  good  fight  of  it.". 

"I  don't  mind  the  fighting,"  Ned  said,  "so  much  as 
the  heat ;  it  is  awful. ' ' 

"It  is  hot,  Ned,"  Captain  Dunlop  said;  "but  at  any| 
rate  it  is  better  for  us  who  sit  on  horseback  than  for  the 
men  who  have  to  march  and  carry  a  rifle  and  ammuni-l 
tion." 

"Do  you  think  we  shall  have  fighting  to-morrow,' 
father?"  Dick  asked.  *"""  __ 

"We  are  certain  to  do  so.  The  pandies  have  been  in- 
trenching themselves  very  strongly  at  Dong,  which  is 
five  miles  from  here.  But  this  is  not  the  worst  part. 
We  know  they  have  placed  two  heavy  guns  on  the  other, 
side  of  the  Pandoo  Nuddee,  which  is  a  large  stream  three 
miles  beyond  Dong.  These  guns  will  sweep  not  onlyj 
the  bridge  but  the  straight  road  for  a  mile  leading  to  it. 
The  bridge,  too,  has,  we  know,  been  mined ;  and  our  only, 
chance  is  to  go  on  with  the  mutineers,  so  as  to  give 
them  no  time  to  blow  it  up. ' '  * 

The  work  of  the  14th,  however,  was  less  severe  than 


IW  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  173 

was  expected.  The  enemy  fought  stoutly  at  the  village, 
advancing  beyond  the  inclosures  to  meet  our  troops. 
Our  superior  rifle  and  artillery  fire,  however,  drove  them 
back,  and  then  they  clung  stubbornly  to  the  village  and 
inclosures,  our  advance  being  retarded  by  the  threatening 
attitude  of  large  bodies  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  who  moved 
upon  the  flanks  and  menaced  the  baggage.  The  force 
under  Havelock  being  so  weak  in  cavalry — for  the  native 
irregulars  had  been  disarmed  and  dismounted  for  their 
bad  conduct — there  remained  only  "Warrener's  Horse, 
who  were  known  in  the  force  as  the  "volunteers. "  These 
covered  the  baggage  and  executed  several  brilliant 
charges  on  parties  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  who  came  too 
boldly  forward ;  but  the  artillery  had  to  be  brought  from 
the  front  and  to  open  upon  the  heavy  masses  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry  before  they  would  fall  back.  Then  the 
column  pressed  forward  again,  captured  Dong,  with  two 
guns  placed  there,  and  drove  the  enemy  out  in  headlong 
flight. 

Then  the  force  moved  forward  to  the  capture  of  the 
Pandoo  bridge.  As  the  artillery,  who  were  at  the  head 
of  the  column,  debouched  from  a  wood  into  the  straight 
bit  of  road  leading  to  the  bridge,  two  puffs  of  smoke 
burst  from  a  low  ridge  ahead,  followed  by  the  boom  of 
heavy  guns,  and  the  twenty-four-pound  shot,  splendidly 
aimed,  crashed  in  among  the  guns,  bullocks  and  men. 
Again  and  again  the  enemy's  guns  were  fired  with  equal 
accuracy.  Our  light  guns  were  at  the  distance  no  match 
for  these  twenty-four  pounders,  and  Captain  Maude 
ordered  two  guns  to  advance  straight  along  the  road 
imtil  within  easy  practice  distance,  and  two  others  to 
go  across  the  country  to  the  right  and  left,  so  as  to  take 
the  bridge,  which  stood  at  the  extremity  of  a  projecting 
bend  of  the  river,  or  as  it  is  called  in  military  parlance, 
a  salient  angle,  in  flank. 


174  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

The  Madras  Fusiliers,  in  skirmishing  line,  preceded  tho 
guns,  and  their  Enfield  fire  as  soon  as  they  were  within 
range  astonished  the  enemy.  Then  the  artillery  opened 
with  shrapnel,  and  nearly  at  the  first  round  silenced  tho 
enemy's  guns  by  killing  the  majority  of  the  gunners  and 
smashing  the  sponging  rods.  Then  the  infantry  ad- 
vanced at  a  charge  and  the  enemy  who  were  massed  to 
defend  the  bridge  at  once  lost  heart  and  fled.  They  tried 
to  blow  up  the  bridge,  but  in  their  haste  they  blundered 
over  it;  and  while  the  parapets  were  injured,  the  arches 
remained  intact.  -j 

After  all  this  fighting  the  British  loss  was  but  six 
killed  and  twenty-three  wounded — among  the  latter  being 
that  brave  officer  Major  Eenaud,  whose  leg  was  broken  by 
a  musket  shot  while  leading  the  Madras  Fusiliers.     > 

Finding  that  the  resistance  was  becoming  more  and 
more  obstinate,  General  Havelock  sent  off  a  horseman  to 
Brigadier-General  Neil,  at  Allahabad,  begging  him  to  send 
up  three  hundred  more  British  troops  with  all  speed. 
On  receiving  the  message  General  Neil  sent  off  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-seven  men  of  the  Eighty-fourth  Regi- 
ment in  bullock  vans  with  orders  to  do  twenty -five  mile3 
a  day,  which  would  take  them  to  Cawnpore  in  less  than 
five  days.  He  himself  came  on  with  the  reinforcements, 
Allahabad  being  by  this  time  quiet  and  safe. 

At  daybreak  next  morning  the  troops  marched  fourteen 
miles,  halted  and  cooked  their  food ;  after  which  at  one 
o'clock  they  prepared  to  attack  the  enemy,  who  were,  our 
spies  told  us,  in  a  position  extremely  strong  in  the  front, 
but  capable  of  being  attacked  by  a  flank  movement.  In 
the  burning  heat  of  the  sun,  with  men  falling  otit  fainting 
at  every  step,  the  troops,  under  a  heavy  artillery  fire  of  tha 
enemy,  turned  off  the  road  and  swept  round  to  executo 
the  flank  movement  as  calmly  and  regularly  as  if  on 
parade. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  175 

i 
"When  they  reached  the  points  assigned  to  them  for  tha 

attack  they  advanced ;  and  then  while  the  skirmishers  and 
the  artillery  engaged  the  enemy,  who  were  strongly  posted 
in  the  inclosures  of  a  village,  the  main  body  lay  down. 
The  enemy's  guns  were,  however,  too  strongly  posted  to 
be  silenced,  and  the  Seventy-eighth  were  ordered  to  take 
the  position  by  assault.  The  Highlanders  moved  for- 
ward in  a  steady  line  until  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
village,  then  at  the  word  "Charge!"  they  went  at  it  with 
a  wild  rush,  delighted  that  at  last  they  were  to  get  hand 
to  hand  with  their  foe.  Not  a  shot  was  fired,  or  a  shout 
uttered,  as  they  threw  themselves  upon  the  mutineers; 
the  bayonet  did  its  work  silently  and  thoroughly. 

A  breach  once  made  in  the  enemy's  line,  position  after 
position  was  carried — Highlanders,  Sixty-fourth  men, 
and  Sikhs  vieing  with  each  other  in  the  ardor  with  which 
they  charged  the  foe,  the  enemy  everywhere  fighting 
stubbornly,  though  vainly. 

At  last,  at  six  in  the  evening,  all  opposition  ceased, ! 
and  the  troops  marched  into  the  old  parade  ground  of 
Cawnpore,  having  performed  a  twenty-two  miles'  march, 
and  fought  for  five  hours  beneath  a  sun  of  tremendous 


1?0  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

DANGEROUS     SERVICE. 

On  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  July  the  troops  rosa 
"with  light  hearts  from  the  ground  where  they  had  thrown 
themselves,  utterly  exhausted,  after  the  tremendous  exer- 
tions of  the  previous  day.  Cawnpore  was  before  them, 
find  as  they  did  not  anticipate  any  further  resistance — 
for  the  whole  of  the  enemy's  guns  had  fallen  into  their 
hands,  and  the  Sepoys  had  fled  in  the  wildest  confusion, 
at  the  end  of  the  day,  after  fighting  with  obstinacy  and 
determination  as  long  as  a  shadow  of  hope  of  victory  re- 
mained— they  looked  forward  to  the  joy  of  releasing 
from  captivity  the  hapless  women  and  children  who  were 
known  to  have  been  confined  in  the  house  called  the 
Subada  Khotee,  since  the  massacre  of  their  husbands  and 
friends  on  the  river. 

Just  after  daybreak  there  was  a  dull,  deep  report,  and 
a  cloud  of  gray  smoke  rose  over  the  city.  Nana  Sahib 
had  ordered  the  great  magazine  to  be  blown  up,  and  had 
fled  for  his  life  to  Bithoor.  Well  might  he  be  hopeless. 
He  had  himself  commanded  at  the  battle  of  the  preced- 
ing day,  and  had  seen  eleven  thousand  of  his  country- 
men, strongly  posted,  defeated  by  a  thousand  English- 
men. What  chance,  then,  could  there  be  of  final  suc- 
cess? As  for  himself,  his  life  was  a  thousandfold  forfeit; 
and  even  yet  his  enemies  did  not  know  the  measure  of 
his  atrocities.     It  was  only  when  the  head  of  the  British 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  If? 

column  arrived  at .  the  Subada  Kliotee  that  the  awful 
truth  became  known.  The  troops  halted,  surprised  that 
no  welcome  greeted  them.  They  entered  the  courtyard; 
all  was  hushed  and  quiet,  but  fragments  of  dresses, 
children's  shoes,  and  other  remembrances  of  British  oc- 
cupation lay  scattered  about.  Awed  and  silent,  the 
leading  officers  entered  the  house,  and  after  a^glance 
round,  recoiled  with  faces  white  with  horror.  The  floor 
was  deep  in  blood,  the  walls  were  sprinkled  thickly  with 
it.  Fragments  of  clothes,  tresses  of  long  hair,  children's 
shoes  with  the  feet  still  in  them — a  thousand  terrible  and 
touching  mementos  of  the  butchery  which  had  taken 
place  there  met  the  eye.  Horror-struck  and  sickened,  j 
the  officers  returned  into  the  courtyard  to  find  that 
another  discovery  had  been  made ;  namely,  that  the  great 
well  near  the  house  was  choked  to  the  brim  with  the 
bodies  of  women  and  children.     Not  one  had  escaped. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  15th,  when  the  defeat  at  Fut- 
tehpore  was  known,  the  Nana  had  given  orders  for  a 
general  massacre  of  his  helpless  prisoners.  There,  in 
this  ghastly  well,  were  the  remains,  not  only  of  those 
who  had  so  far  survived  the  siege  and  first  massacre  of 
Cawnpore,  but  of  some  seventy  or  eighty  women  and 
children,  fugitives  from  Futteyghur.  These  had,  with 
their  husbands,  fathers  and  friends,  a  hundred  and  thirty 
in  all,  reached  Cawnpore  in  boats  on  the  12th  of  July. 
Here  the  boats  had  been  fired  upon  and  forced  to  put  to 
shore,  where  the  men  were,  by  the  Nana's  orders,  all 
butchered,  and  the  women  and  children  sent  to  share  the 
fate  of  the  prisoners  of  Cawnpore. 

Little  wonder  is  it  that  the  soldiers,  who  had  struggled 
against  heat  and  fatigue  and  a  host  of  foes  to  reach  Cawn- 
pore, broke  down  and  cried  like  children  at  that  terrible 
eight;  that  soldiers  picked  up  "the  bloody  relios — a  hand- 


!<yg  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

kerchief,  a  lock  of  hair,  a  child's  sock  sprinkled  with 
blood — and  kept  them,  to  steel  their  hearts  to  all  thoughts 
of  mercy ;  and  that,  after  this,  they  went  into  battle  cry- 
ing to  each  other : 

"Remember  the  ladies!"  "Remember  the  babies!" 
''Think  of  Cawnpore!"  Henceforth,  to  the  end  of  the 
war  no  quarter  was  ever  shown  to  a  Sepoy. 

One  of  the  first  impulses  of  the  Warreners  when  the 
tents  were  pitched  in  the  old  cantonments,  and  the  troops 
were  dismissed,  was  to  ride  with  their  father  to  the  house 
of  the  ranee.  It  was  found  to  be  abandoned — as  indeed 
was  the  greater  part  of  the  town — and  an  old  servant  who 
alone  remained  said  that  two  days  previously  the  ranee 
had  left  for  her  country  abode.  Major  Warrener  at  once 
drew  out  a  paper,  saying  that  the  owner  of  this  house 
bad  shown  hospitality  and  kindness  to  English  fugitives, 
and  that  it  was  therefore  to  be  preserved  from  all  harm 
or  plunder,  and  having  obtained  the  signature  of  the 
quartermaster-general  in  addition  to  his  own,  he  affixed 
the  paper  to  the  door  of  the  dwelling.  The  nest  day  he 
rode  out  with  his  sons  and  twenty  of  his  men  to  the 
iiouse  where  the  boys  had  first  been  sheltered.  The 
gates  were  opened  at  his  sumomus  by  some  trembling 
retainers,  who  hastened  to  assure  them  that  the  ranee, 
their  mistress,  was  friendly  to  the  English. 

"Will  you  tell  her  that  there  is  no  cause  for  alarm,  but 
that  we  desire  an  interview  with  her?"  the  major  said, 
dismounting. 

In  a  minute  the  servant  returned,  and  begged  the 
znajor  to  follow  him,  which  he  did,  accompanied  by  his 
sons.  They  were  shown  into  a  grand  reception  room, 
where  the  ranee,  thickly  veiled,  was  sitting  on  a  couch, 
surrounded  by  her  attendants,   Ahrab  standing  besid.3 


ZZV-  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  179 

The  ranee  gave  a  little  cry  of  pleasure  on  recognizing1 
tne  boys,  and  Ahrab  instantly  signed  to  the  other  at- 
tendants to  retire.  Then  the  ranee  unveiled,  and  the 
major,  who  had  remained  near  the  entrance  until  the 
attendants  had  left,  came  forward,  the  boys  kissing  the 
hands  that  the  ranee  held  out  to  them. 

"I  have  mourned  for  you  as  dead,"  she  said.  "When 
the  news  of  that  horrible  treachery  came,  and  I  thought 
that  I  had  let  you  go  to  death,  my  heart  turned  to  water. " 

"This  is  our  father,  dear  lady, "  Ned  said;  "he  has 
come  to  thank  you  himself  for  having  saved  and  sheltered 
us." 

The  interview  lasted  for  half  an  hour;  refreshment 
being  served,  Ned  recounted  the  particulars  of  their 
escape.  Major  Warrener  on  leaving  handed  the  ranee  a 
protection  order  signed  by  the  general  to  show  to  any 
British  troops  who  might  be  passing,  and  told  her  that 
her  name  would  be  sent  in  with  the  list  of  those  who  had 
acted  kindly  to  British  fugitives,  all  of  whom  afterward 
received  honors  and  rewards  in  the  shape  of  the  lands  of 
those  who  had  joined  the  mutineers.  Then,  with  many 
expressions  of  good-will  on  both  sides,  the  major  and  hia 
sons  took  their  leave,  and  joining  the  troops  below,  rods 
back  to  Cawnpore. 

For  three  days  after  his  arrival  at  Cawnpore,  General 
Havelock  rested  hia  troops,  and  occupied  himself  with 
restoring  order  in  the  town.  Numbers  of  Sepoys  were 
found  in  hiding,  and  these  were,  as  soon  as  identified,  all 
hung  at  once.  On  the  third  day  Brigadier-General  Neil 
arrived  with  the  two  hundred  and  twenty  men  of  the 
Eighty -fourth,  who  had  been  hurried  forward — a  most 
welcome  reinforcement,  for  Havelock's  force  was  sadly 
weakened  by  loss  in  battle,  sunstroke  and  disease. 
On  the   20th  the  army  marched  against   Bithoor,  every 


■XQQ  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

heart  "beating  at  the  thought  of  engaging  Nana  Sahib, 
t/Iio,  with  five  thousand  men  and  a  large  number  of  can- 
non, had  made  every  preparation  for  the  defense  of  his 
castle.  At  the  approach  of  the  avenging  force,  however, 
his  courage  and  the  courage  of  his  troops  alike  gave 
way,  and  they  fled  without  firing  a  shot,  leaving  behind 
them  guns,  elephants,  baggage,  men  and  horses  in  great 
numbers.  The  magazine  was  blown  up  and  the  palace 
burned,  and  the  force,  with  their  captured  booty,  re- 
turned to  Cawnpore. 

During  the  advance  to  Cawnpore  the  zeal  and  bravery 
of  the  young  Warreners  had  not  escaped  the  notice  of  the 
general,  who  had  named  them  in  his  official  report  as 
gentlemen  volunteers  who  had  greatly  distinguished 
themselves.  On  the  return  from  Bithoor,  on  the  evening 
of  the  20th,  he  turned  to  them  as  he  dismounted,  and 
said,  "Will  you  come  to  my  tent  in  two  hours'  time?" 

"Young  gentlemen,"  he  said,  when  they  presented 
themselves?  and  had  at  his  request  seated  themselves  on 
two  boxes  which  served  as  chairs,  "in  what  I  am  going 
to  say  to  you,  mind,  I  express  no  wish  even  of  the  slight- 
est. I  simply  state  that  I  require  two  officers  for  a  serv- 
ice of  extreme  danger.  I  want  to  send  a  message  into 
Lucknow.  None  of  the  officers  of  the  English  regiments 
can  speak  the  language  with  any  fluency,  and  those  of 
the  Madras  Fusiliers  speak  the  dialects  of  Southern  India. 
Therefore  it  is  among  the  volunteers,  who  all  belong  to 
the  northwest,  that  I  must  look.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
there  are  many  of  them  who  would  undertake  the  service, 
and  whose  knowledge  of  the  language  would  be  nearly 
perfect,  but  there  are  reasons  whjr  I  ask  you  whether  you 
will  volunteer  for  the  work.  In  the  first  place,  you  have 
already  three  times  passed,  while  in  disguise,  as  natives ; 
find  in  the  second,  your  figures  being  slight  and  still  a 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  |8! 

good  deal  under  the  height  you  will  attain  render  your 
disguise  far  less  easy  to  be  detected  than  that  of  a  full- 
grown  man  would  be.  If  you  undertake  it  you  will  have 
a  native  guide  who  last  night  arrived  from  Lucknow  with 
a  message  to  me,  having  passed  through  the  enemy's 
lines.  You  understand  young  gentlemen  the  service  is 
one  of  great  honor  and  credit  if  accomplished  but  it  is 
also  one  of  the  greatest  risk.  I  cannot  so  well  intrust 
the  mission  to  the  native  alone,  because  I  dare  not  put  on 
paper  the  tidings  I  wish  conveyed,  and  it  is  possible, 
however  faithful  he  may  be,  that  he  might,  if  taken  and 
threatened  with  death,  reveal  the  message  with  which  he 
is  charged.  I  see  by  your  faces  what  your  answer  is 
about  to  be,  but  I  will  not  hear  it  now.  Go  first  to  your 
father.  Tell  him  exactly  what  I  have  told  you,  and  then 
send  me  the  answer  if  he  declines  to  part  with  you — bring 
it  me  if  he  consents  to  your  going.  Remember  that  in 
yielding  what  I  see  is  your  own  inclination  to  his  natural 
anxiety,  you  will  not  fall  in  the  very  least  from  the  high 
position  in  which  you  stand  in  my  regard.  In  an  hour 
I  shall  expect  to  hear  from  you.  Good-night,  if  I  do  not 
see  you  again." 

"Of  course  father  will  let  us  go,"  Dick  said  when  they 
got  outside  the  tent.     Ned  did  not  reply. 

"Dick,  old  boy,"  he  said  presently,  as  they  walked 
along,  "don't  you  think  if  I  go  alone  it  would  be  better? 
It  would  be  an  awful  blow  to  father  to  lose  both  of  us." 

"No,  Ned,"  Dick  said  warmly,  "I  hope  he  will  not 
decide  that.  I  know  I  can't  talk  the  lingo  as  you  can, 
and  that  so  I  add  to  your  danger ;  still  sometimes  in 
danger  two  can  help  each  other,  and  we  huve  gone 
through  so  much  together — oh,  Ned,  don't  propose  that 
you  should  go  alone." 

Major  Warren er — or  Colonel  Warrener  as  he   should 


182  Iff  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

now  be  called,  for  General  Havelock  had  given  him  a  step 
in  rank  in  recognition  of  the  most  valuable  service  of  his 
troop  during  the  battles  on  the  road  to  Cawnpore — heard 
Ned  in  silence  while  he  repeated  as  nearly  as  possible 
word  for  word  the  words  of  the  general.  For  some  time 
lie  was  silent  and  sat  with  his  face  in  his  hands. 

"I  don't  like  you  both  going,  my  boys,"  he  said 
huskily. 

"No,  father,"  Dick  said,  "I  feared  that  that  was  what 
you  would  say ;  but  although  in  some  respects  I  should 
be  a  hindrance  to  Ned,  from  not  speaking  the  language, 
in  others  I  might  help  him.  Two  are  alwajrs  better  than 
one  in  a  scrape,  and  if  he  got  ill  or  wounded  or  anything 
I  could  nurse  him ;  and  two  people  together  keep  up 
each  other's  spirits.  You  know,  father,  we  have  got 
through  some  bad  scrapes  together  all  right,  and  I  don't 
see  why  we  should  not  get  through  this.  We  shall  be 
well  disguised ;  and  no  end  of  Sepoys  and  people  from 
Cawnpore  must  be  making  their  way  to  Lucknow,  so  that 
very  few  questions  are  likely  to  be  asked.  It  does  not 
seem  to  me  anything  like  as  dangerous  a  business  as 
those  we  have  gone  through,  for  the  last  thing  they 
would  look  for  is  Englishmen  making  their  way  to  Luck- 
now  at  present.  The  guide  who  is  going  with  us  got 
out,  you  know;  and  they  must  be  looking  out  ten  times 
as  sharp  to  prevent  people  getting  out  as  to  prevent  any 
one  getting  in." 

"I  really  do  not  think,  father, "  Ned  said,  "that  tho 
danger  of  detection  is  great — certainly  nothing  like  what 
it  was  before.  Dick  and  I  will  of  course  go  as  Sepoys, 
and  Dick  can  bind  up  his  face  and  mouth  as  if  he  had 
been  wounded  and  was  unable  to  speak.  There  must  be 
thousands  of  them  making  their  way  to  Lucknow,  and  wo 
shall  excite  no  attention  whatever.  The  distance  is  not 
forty  miles." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  183 

"Very  well,  boys,  so  be  it,"  Colonel  Warrener  said. 
"There  is  much  in  what  you  say;  and  reluctant  as  I  am 
to  part  with  you  both,  yet  somehow  the  thought  that  you 
are  together  and  can  help  each  other  will  be  a  comfort 
to  me.  God  bless  you,  my  boys !  Go  back  to  the  gen- 
eral and  say  I  consent  freely  to  your  doing  the  duty  for 
which  he  has  selected  you.  I  expect  you  will  have  to 
start  at  once,  but  you  will  come  back  here  to  change. ' ' 

General  Havelock  expressed  his  warm  satisfaction 
when  the  boys  returned  with  their  father's  consent  to 
their  undertaking  the  adventure.  "I  understand  from 
Colonel  "Warrener, "  he  said,  addressing  Ned,  "that  you 
are  intended  for  the  army.  I  have  deferred  telling  you 
that  on  the  day  of  the  first  fight  I  sent  your  name  home 
begging  that  you  might  be  gazetted  on  that  date  to  a 
commission  in  the  Sixty-fourth.  Your  name  will  by  this 
time  have  appeared  in  order.  There  are  only  two  ensigns 
now  in  the  regiment,  and  ere  I  see  you  again  there  will, 
I  fear,  be  more  than  that  even  of  death  vacancies,  so  that 
you  will  have  got  your  step.  I  will  do  the  same  for 
you,"  he  said,  turning  to  Dick,  "if  you  like  to  give  up 
your  midshipman's  berth  and  take  to  the  army." 

"No,  thank  you,  sir,"  Dick  said,  laughing.  "By  the 
time  this  is  over  I  shall  have  had  enough  of  land  service 
to  last  my  life." 

"I  have  already  sent  down  a  report  to  the  admiral  of 
your  conduct,"  General  Havelock  said;  "and  as  a  naval 
brigade  is  coming  up  under  Captain  Peel,  you  will  be 
able  to  sail  under  your  true  colors  before  long.  Now 
for  your  instructions.  You  are  to  inform  Colonel  Inglis, 
who  is  in  command  since  the  death  of  Sir  H  Lawrence, 
that  although  I  am  on  the  point  of  endeavoring  to  push 
forward  to  his  rescue,  I  have  no  hope  whatever  of  suc- 
cess.    Across  the  river  large  forces  of  Oude  irregulars, 


134  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

-with  guns,  are  collected,  and  every  step  of  the  way  will 
be  contested.  I  must  leave  a  [force  to  hold  Cawnpore, 
p.nd  I  have  only  eleven  hundred  bayonets  in  all.  "With 
such  a  force  as  this  it  is  impossible,  if  the  enemy  resists 
as  stubbornly  as  may  be  expected,  for  me  to  fight  my 
way  to  Lucknow,  still  more  to  force  my  way  through  the 
city,  held  by  some  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  men,  to  the 
Eesidency.  I  may  say  that  I  have  no  hope  of  doing  thia 
till  I  am  largely  reinforced.  Still,  my  making  a  com- 
mencement of  a  march,  and  standing  constantly  on  the 
offensive,  will  force  the  enemy  to  keep  a  large  force  on 
the  road  to  oppose  me,  and  will  in  so  far  relieve  the 
Eesidency  from  some  of  its  foes.  You  see  the  impor- 
tance of  your  message.  Did  the  enemy  know  my  weak- 
ness they  would  be  able  to  turn  their  whole  force  against 
the  Residency.  Tell  our  countrymen  there  that  they 
must  hold  out  to  the  last,  but  that  I  hope  and  believe  that 
in  a  month  from  the  present  time  the  reinforcements  will 
be  up,  and  that  I  shall  be  able  to  advance  to  their  rescue. 
Colonel  Inglis  says  that  their  stores  will  last  to  the  end 
of  August,  and  that  he  believes  that  he  can  repel  all  at- 
tacks. The  native  who  goes  with  you  bears  word  only 
that  I  am  on  the  point  of  advancing  to  the  relief  of  the 
garrison.  So  if  the  worst  happens  and  you  are  all  taken, 
his  message,  if  he  betrays  it,  will  only  help  to  deceive 
the  enemy.  You  will  start  to-night  if  possible.  I  leave 
it  to  you  to  arrange  your  disguises,  and  have  ordered  the 
guide  to  be  at  your  father's  tent  at  nine  o'clock — that  is, 
in  an  hour  and  a  half's  time — so  that  if  you  can  be  ready 
by  that  time  you  will  get  well  away  before  daybreak. 
There  is  a  small  boat  four  miles  up  the  river  that  the 
guide  crossed  in;  he  hid  it  in  some  bushes,  so  you  will 
cross  without  difficulty;  and  even  if  you  are  caught  cross- 
ing,   your   story   that  you   are   Sepoys   who   have  been 


Ur  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  185 

hiding  for  the  last  few  days  will  pass  muster.  Now, 
good-by,  lads,  and  may  God  watch  over  you  and  keep 
you ! ' ' 

Upon  their  return  to  Colonel  Warrener's  tent  they 
found  their  friends  Captain  Dunlop  and  Manners,  and 
two  or  three  of  the  officers  most  accustomed  to  native 
habits  and  ways,  and  all  appliances  for  disguise.  First 
the  boys  took  a  hearty  meal;  then  they  stripped  and 
were  sponged  with  iodine  from  head  to  foot;  both  were 
then  dressed  in  blood-stained  Sepoy  uniforms,  of  which 
there  were  thousands  lying  about,  for  the  greater  portion 
of  the  enemy  had  thrown  off  their  uniforms  before  taking 
to  night.  Ned's  left  arm  was  bandaged  up  with  bloody 
rags  and  put  in  a  sling,  and  Dick's  head  and  face  were 
similarly  tied  up,  though  he  could  not  resist  a  motion  of 
repugnance  as  the  foul  rags  were  applied  to  him.  Both 
had  a  quantity  of  native  plaster  and  bandages  placed 
next  to  the  skin,  in  case  suspicion  should  fall  upon  them 
and  the  outside  bandages  be  removed  to  see  if  wounds 
really  existed ;  andJDick  was  given  a  quantity  of  tow,  with 
which  to  fill  his  mouth  and  swell  out  his  cheeks  and  lips, 
to  give  the  appearance  which  would  naturally  arise  from 
a  severe  wound  in  the  jaw.  Caste  marks  were  painted  on 
their  foreheads,  and  their  disguise  was  pronounced  to 
be  absolutely  perfect  to  the  eye.  Both  were  barefooted, 
as  the  Sepoys  never  travel  in  the  regimental  boots  if  they 
can  avoid  it. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  guide  was  summoned,  an 
intelligent-looking  Hindoo  in  country  dress.  He  exam- 
ined his  fellow-travelers  and  pronounced  himself  perfectly 
satisfied  with  their  appearance. 

Outside  the  tent  six  horses  were  in  readiness.  Colonel 
"Warrener  and  his  friends  Dunlop  and  Manners  mounted 
on  three,  the  others  were  for  the  travelers ;  and  with  a 


136  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

hearty  good-by  to  their  other  friends  in  the  secret,  €13 
party  started. 

Half  an  hour's  riding  took  them  to  the  place  where  tha 
boat  was  concealed  in  the  bushes;  and  with  a  tender  faro- 
well  from  their  father,  and  a  hearty  good-by  from  his 
companions,  the  three  adventurers  took  their  places  in 
the  boat  and  started. 

Noiselessly  they  paddled  across  the  Ganges,  stepped 
out  in  the  shallow  water  on  the  other  side,  turned  the 
boat  adrift  to  float  down  with  the  stream,  and  then  struck 
across  the  country  toward  Lucknow. 

They  were  now  off  the  main  road,  on  which  the  Ouda 
mutineers  collected  to  oppose  the  advance  of  General 
Havelock  were  for  the  most  part  stationed.  Thus  the;/- 
passed  village  after  village,  unchallenged  and  unques- 
tioned, and  morning,  when  it  dawned,  found  them  twenty 
miles  on  the  road  toward  Lucknow.  Then  they  went 
into  a  wood  and  lay  down  to  sleep,  for  even  if  any  one 
should  enter  accidentally  and  discover  them,  they  had 
no  fear  of  any  suspicion  arising.  They  were  now  near 
the  main  road,  and  when  they  started — just  as  it  became 
dusk — they  met  various  parties  of  horse  and  foot  proceed- 
ing toward  Cawnpore ;  sometimes  they  passed  without  a 
question,  sometimes  a  word  or  two  were  said,  the  guida 
answering,  and  asking  how  things  went  at  Lucknow. 

The  subject  was  evidently  a  sore  one;  for  curses  on  tha 
obstinate  Feringhee  dogs,  and  threats  as  to  their  ulti' 
mate  fate,  were  the  only  reply. 

Eighteen  miles'  walk  and  a  great  black  wall  rose  in 
front  of  them. 

"That  is  the  Alumbagh, "  the  guide  said;  "the  sahibs 
will  have  a  big  fight  here.  It  is  a  summer  palace  and 
garden  of  the  king.  Once  past  this  we  will  leave  tha 
road.     It  is  but  two  miles  to  the  canal,  and  we  must  not 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  187 

enter  tlie  city — not  that  I  fear  discovery,  but  there  would 
be  no  possibility  of  entering  the  Residency  on  this  side. 
Our  only  chance  is  on  the  side  I  left  it — that  is,  by  cross- 
ing the  river.     We  must  work  round  the  town." 

"How far  are  we  from  the  Residency  now?  I  can  hear 
the  cannon  very  clearly ; "  and  indeed  for  the  last  two 
iiours  of  their  walk  the  booming  of  guns  had  been  dis- 
tinctly audible. 

"It  is  about  five  miles  in  a  straight  line,  but  it  will  be 
double  by  the  route  we  must  take." 

Turning  to  the  right  after  passing  the  dark  mass  of 
the  Alumbagh,  the  little  party  kept  away  through  a 
wooded  country  until  another  great  building  appeared 
in  sight. 

"That  is  the  Dilkouska, "  the  guide  said.  "Now  we 
will  go  half  a  mile  further  and  then  sleep ;  we  cannot  get 
in  to-night. ' ' 

In  the  afternoon  they  were  awake  again  and  took  their 
Beats  on  a  bank  at  a  short  distance  from  any  road,  and 
looked  at  the  city. 

"What  an  extraordinary  view!"  Ned  said.  "What 
fantastic  buildings !  What  an  immense  variety  of  palaces 
and  mosques !  What  is  that  strange  building  nearest  to 
to  us?"  he  asked  the  guide. 

"That  is  the  Martiniere.  It  was  built  many  years  ago 
by  a  Frenchman  in  the  service  of  the  King  of  Oude. 
Now  it  is  a  training  college.  All  the  pupils  are  in  the 
Residency,  and  are  fighting  like  men.  Beyond,  between 
us  and  the  Residency,  are  several  palaces  and  mosques. 
That  is  the  Residency ;  do  you  not  see  an  English  house 
with  a  tower,  and  a  flag  flying  over  it,  standing  alone 
on  that  rising  ground  by  the  river?" 

"And  that  is  the  Residency!"  the  boys  exclaimed,, 
looking  at  the  building  in  which,  and  the  surrounding 


1/,3  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

louses,  a  handful  of  Englishmen  were  keeping  at  bay  an 
army. 

"That  is  the  Residency, "  their  guide  said;  "do  you 
r.oi  see  the  circle  of  smoke  which  rises  around  it?  Lis- 
ten ;  I  can  hear  the  rattle  of  musketry  quite  distinctly." 

ie  And  how  are  we  to  get  there  ?  "  the  boys  asked,  im- 
patient to  be  at  work  taking  part  in  the  defense. 

"We  will  keep  on  here  to  the  right ;  the  river  is  close 
by.  We  will  swim  across  after  it  gets  dark,  make  a  wide 
sweep  round,  and  then  come  down  to  the  river  again  op- 
posite the  Residency,  swim  across,  and  then  we  are  safe," 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  I  ]£& 


CHAPTEK    XUf. 

LUCKNOW. 

IjUOKNOW,  although  the  capital  of  Oude,  the  center  of  a 
T'aiiike  people  smarting  under  recent  annexation,  had 
for  a  long  time  remained  tranquil  after  insurrection  and 
massacre  were  raging  unchecked  in  the  northwest.  Sir 
Henry  Lawrence,  a  man  of  great  decision  and  firmness 
united  to  pleasant  and  conciliating  manners,  had,  when 
the  Sepoys  began  to  hold  nightly  meetings  and  to  exhibit 
signs  of  recklessness,  toward  the  end  of  April,  telegraphed 
to  government  for  full  power  to  act;  and  having 
obtained  the  required  authorization,  he  awaited  with 
calmness  the  first  sign  of  insubordination.  This  was 
exhibited  by  the  men  of  the  Seventh  Oude  irregular 
infantry,  who  on  the  3d  of  May  endeavored  to  seduce  the 
men  of  the  Forty-eighth  native  regiment  from  its  allegi- 
ance, and  broke  out  into  acts  of  open  mutiny.  Sir 
Henry  Lawrence  the  same  evening  marched  the  Thirty- 
second  Foot  and  a  battery  of  European  artillery,  with 
some  native  regiments,  to  their  lines,  three  miles  from 
the  city,  surrounded  and  disarmed  them,  and  arrested 
their  ringleaders.  After  this  act  of  decision  and  energy 
Lucknow  had  peace  for  some  time.  The  native  troops, 
awed  and  subdued,  remained  tranquil,  and  on  the  27th  of 
May  Lucknow  still  remained  quiet,  whereas  every  other 
station  in  Oude,  except  Cawnpore,  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  rebels. 


100  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

At  the  same  time  every  preparation  had  been  made  for 
the  struggle  which  all  regarded  as  inevitable.  The 
houses  which  formed  two  sides  of  the  large  irregular 
square  in  the  center  of  which  stood  the  Residency  were 
connected  by  earthworks,  and  a  breastwork,  composed  cf 
sandbags  and  fascines,  surrounded  the  other  sides. 
Stores  of  provisions  were  collected,  cattle  driven  in,  and 
every  preparation  made  for  a  lengthened  defense.  The 
cantonments  were  three  miles  distant  from  the  Resi- 
dency, and  were  occupied  by  the  Thirteenth,  Forty- 
eighth  and  Seventy-first  native  infantry  >  and  Seventh 
native  cavalry,  Her  Majesty's  Twenty-second  Regiment, 
a  battery  of  European  artillery,  and  a  small  force  of 
native  horse. 

On  the  evening  of  the  30th  of  May  the  revolt  broke 
out.  It  began  in  the  lines  of  the  Seventy -first  and  spread 
at  once  to  the  other  native  regiments,  who  took  up  arms, 
fired  the  bungalows,  and  killed  all  the  officers  upon  whom 
they  could  lay  hands.  Happily  all  was  in  readiness,  and 
a  company  of  European  troops,  with  two  guns,  took  up 
their  post  on  the  road  leading  to  the  city,  so  as  to  bar 
the  movement  of  the  mutineers  in  that  direction. 
Nothing  could  be  done  till  morning,  when  Sir  Henry 
Lawrence,  with  a  portion  of  the  Thirty-second,  and  the 
guns,  moved  to  attack  the  mutineers.  The  British  were 
joined  by  seven  hundred  men  of  the  various  regiments, 
who  remained  true  to  their  colors,  and  the  mutineers  at 
once  fled,  with  such  rapidity  that,  although  pursued  for 
jseven  miles,  only  thirty  prisoners  were  taken. 

The  troops  then  marched  quickly  back  to  the  Resi- 
dency, where  their  presence  was  much  needed,  as  there 
was  great  excitement  in  the  town,  and  a  good  deal  of 
fighting  between  the  police  and  the  roughs  of  the  city, 
who  endeavored  to  get  up  a  general  rising  and  an  indis- 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  181 

criminate  plunder  of  the  town.  Sir  Henry  Lawrenca 
apon  bis  return  restored  order,  erected  a  large  gallows 
outside  the  fort  and  hung  some  of  the  rioters,  executed 
a  dozen  of  the  mutinous  Sepoys,  rewarded  those  who  had 
remained  faithful,  and  for  a  time  restored  order.  All  the 
European  residents  in  Lucknow  were  called  into  the 
lines  of  the  Residency,  the  small  European  force  being 
divided  between  that  post  and  the  Mutchee  Bawn,  a 
strong  fort  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant,  and  the  rem- 
nant of  the  native  infantry  regiments  who  had  so  far  re- 
mained true,  but  who  might  at  any  moment  turn  traitors, 
were  offered  three  months'  leave  to  go  home  to  their 
friends.  Many  accepted  the  offer  and  left,  but  a  portion 
remained  behind,  and  fought  heroically  through  the 
siege  by  the  side  of  the  whites.  Thus  one  source  of 
anxiety  for  the  garrison  was  removed ;  and  safe  now  from 
treachery  within,  they  had  only  to  prepare  to  resist  force 
from  without. 

So  determined  was  the  front  shown  by  the  little  body 
of  British  that  Lucknow,  with  its  unruly  population  of 
over  a  quarter  of  a  million,  remained  quiet  all  through 
the  month  of  June.  It  was  not  until  the  last  day  of  the 
month  that  the  storm  was  to  burst.  On  the  30th  a  body 
of  insurgent  Sepoys,  some  seven  or  eight  thousand 
cifcrong,  having  approached  to  Chinhut,  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  town,  Sir  Henry  Lawrence,  with  two  com- 
panies of  the  Thirty-second,  eleven  guns,  some  of  them 
manned  by  natives,  and  eighty  native  cavalry,  went  out 
to  give  them  battle. 

The  affair  was  disastrous;  the  native  cavalry  bolted, 
the  native  gunners  fled,  and  after  a  loss  of  sixty  men, 
tliree  officers,  and  six  guns,  the  British  troops  with 
difficulty  fought  their  way  back  to  the  Besidency.  The 
rebels  entered  the  town  in  triumph,  and  the  city  at  ones 


192  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Tose;  the  respectable  inhabitants  were  killed,  the  bazas? 
looted,  and  then,  assured  of  success,  the  enemy  prepared 
to  overwhelm  the  little  British  garrison. 

Immediately  upon  the  return  of  the  defeated  column, 
it  became  evident  that  the  weakened  force  could  not  hold 
the  two  positions.  Accordingly  the  Mutchee  Bawn  was 
evacuated,  its  great  magazine,  containing  two  hundred 
and  forty  barrels  of  powder  and  six  hundred  thousand 
rounds  of  ammunition,  was  blown  up,  and  the  British 
force  was  reunited  in  the  Residency. 

In  order  that  the  position  of  affairs  in  this,  perhap3 
the  most  remarkable  siege  that  ever  took  place,  shoiild  be 
understood,  it  is  as  well  to  give  a  full  description  of  the 
defenses.  The  Residency  and  its  surroundings  formed 
an  irregxilar,  lozenge-shaped  inclosure,  having  its  acute 
angles  nearly  north  and  south,  the  southern  extremity 
being  contiguous  to  the  Cawnpore  Road,  and  the  north- 
ern point  approaching  near  to  the  iron  bridge  over  the 
River  Goomtee.  Near  the  south  point  of  the  inclosure 
was  the  house  of  Major  Anderson,  standing  in  the  middle 
of  a  garden  or  open  court,  and  surrounded  by  a  wall*; 
the  house  was  defended  by  barricades,  and  loopholed  for 
musketry,  while  the  garden  was  strengthened  by  a  trench 
and  rows  of  palisades.  Next  to  this  house,  and  com- 
municating with  it  by  a  hole  in  the  wall,  was  a  newly- 
constructed  defense  work  called  the  Cawnpore  Battery, 
mounted  with  guns,  and  intended  to  command  the  houses 
and  streets  adjacent  to  the  Cawnpore  Road.  Ihe  house 
next  to  this,  occupied  by  a  Mr.  Deprat,  had  a  mud  wall, 
six  feet  high  and  two  and  a  half  thick,  built  along  in 
front  of  its  veranda,  and  this  was  continued  to  the  next 
house,  being  raised  to  the  height  of  nine  feet  between 
the  houses,  and  loopholed  for  musketry.  This  next  house 
was  inhabited  by  the  boys  from  the  Martiniere  School. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  193 

I'j  was  defended  by  a  stockade  and  trench,  both  of  which 
were  continued  across  a  road  which  divided  this  housa 
from  the  next,  which  stood  near  the  western  angle,  and 
was  the  brigade  mess-house.  This  house  had  a  lofty  and 
well-protected  terrace,  commanding  the  houses  outside 
the  inclosure.  In  its  rear  were  a  number  of  small  build- 
ings occupied  by  officers  and  their  families. 

Next  to  the  brigade  mess-house  were  two  groups  of  low 
buildings,  called  the  Sikh  Squares,  and  on  the  flat  roofs 
cf  these  buildings  sandbag  parapets  were  raised.  Next 
to  this,  at  the  extreme  western  point,  stood  the  house  of 
Mr.  Gubbins,  the  commissioner,  a  strong  building,  de- 
fended with  stockades,  and  having  at  the  angle  a  battery, 
called  Gubbins'  Battery.  Along  the  northwestern  side 
were  a  number  of  yards  and  buildings,  the  racket-court, 
the  sheep-pens,  the  slaughterhouse,  the  cattle  yard,  a 
storehouse  for  the  food  for  the  cattle,  and  a  guardhouse; 
and  behind  them  stood  a  strong  building  known  as 
Oramaney's  house,  guarded  by  a  deep  ditch  and  cactus 
hedge,  and  defended  with  two  pieces  of  artillery-  A 
mortar  battery  was  planted  north  of  the  slaughterhouse. 
Next  along  the  line  was  the  church,  converted  now  into 
a  granary,  and  in  the  churchyard  was  a  mortar  battery. 
Next  came  the  house  of  Lieutenant  Innis,  a  weak  and 
difficult  post  to  hold,  commanded  as  it  was  by  several 
houses  outside  the  inclosure.  Commanding  the  extreme 
north  point,  which  was  in  itself  very  weak,  was  the  Redan 
Battery,  a  well-constructed  work.  From  this  point, 
lacing  the  river,  was  a  strong  earthwork,  and  outside  the 
sloping  garden  served  as  a  glacis,  and  rendered  attack  on 
this  side  difficult.  Near  the  eastern  angle  stood  the  hos- 
pital, a  very  large  stone  building,  formerly  the  banquet- 
iiig-hall  of  the  British  residents  at  the  court  of  Oude. 
Near  the  hospital,  but  on  lower  ground,  was  the  Bailey 


£94  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Guard.  Dr.  Fayrer's  ^house,  south  of  the  hospital,  was 
strongly  built,  and  from  its  terraced  roof  an  effective 
musketry  fire  could  be  kept  up  on  an  enemy  approaching 
en  this  side.  Next  to  it  came  the  civil  dispensary,  and 
then  the  post  office,  a  strong  position,  defended  by  a 
battery.  Between  this  and  the  south  corner  came  the 
financial  office,  Sago's  house,  the  judicial  office,  and  the 
jail.  The  Eesidency,  a  spacious  and  handsome  build- 
ing, stood  in  the  center  of  the  northern  portion  of  the 
inclosure,  surrounded  by  gardens.  It  was  on  elevated 
ground,  and  from  its  terraced  roof  a  splendid  view  of  the 
city  and  surrounding  country  could  be  obtained.  The 
Begum's  Khotee,  or  ladies'  house,  stood  near  the  center 
of  the  inclosure ;  it  was  a  large  building,  and  was  used 
as  a  commissariat  store,  and  for  the  dwellings  of  many 
officers'  families.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Residency 
at  Lucknow,  as  defended  against  the  insurgents,  com- 
prised a  little  town  grouped  around  the  dwelling  of  ths 
resident. 

In  this  little  circle  of  intrenchments  were  gathered,  on 
the  1st  of  July,  when  the  siege  began,  over  a  thousand 
women  and  children,  defended  by  a  few  hundred  British 
troops  and  civilians,  and  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  men 
remaining  faithful  from  the  Sepoy  regiments.  Upon  that 
day  the  enemy  opened  fire  from  several  batteries.  A 
shell  penetrated  the  small  room  in  the  Eesidency  in 
which  Sir  Henry  Lawrence  was  sitting,  and  passed  be- 
tween him  and  his  private  secretary,  Mr.  Cowper.  His 
officers  begged  him  to  change  his  room,  but  he  declined 
to  do  so,  saying  laughingly  that  the  room  was  so  small 
that  there  was  no  chance  of  another  shell  finding  its  way 
in.  He  was,  however,  mistaken,  for  the  very  next  day 
a  shell  entered,  and  burst  in  the  room,  the  fragment::; 
inflicting   a   mortal  wound   upon  Sir  Henry    who    died 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  133 

a  few  hours  afterward.  The  loss  was  a  heavy  one 
Indeed,  both  to  the  garrison,  to  whom  his  energy,  calm- 
ness and  authority  were  invaluable,  and  to  England,  who 
lost  in  him  one  of  her  noblest  and  most  worthy  sons.  On 
his  death  the  command  of  the  defense  devolved  upon 
Colonel  Inglis,  of  the  Thirty-second  Regiment,  a  most 
gallant  and  skillful  officer.  After  this,  day  after  day  the 
fighting  had  continued,  the  enemy  ever  gaining  in  num- 
bers and  in  strength,  erecting  fresh  batteries,  and  keep- 
ing up  a  ceaseless  fire  night  and  day  upon  the  garrison. 

The  Warreners,  with  their  guide,  experienced  tha 
difficulties  which  this  increased  activity  of  the  attack 
caused  to  emissaries  trying  to  enter  or  leave  the  Resi- 
dency. After  it  had  become  dark  they  swam  the  Goom- 
tee,  and  made  a  wide  circuit,  and  then  tried  to  approach 
the  river  again,  opposite  the  Residency.  Several  bat- 
teries, however,  had  been  erected  on  this  side  since  tha 
guide  had  left,  five  days  before,  and  these  were  connected 
by  a  chain  of  sentries,  so  closely  placed  that  it  would 
have  been  madness  to  endeavor  to  pass  them  unseen, 
It  was  clear  that  the  mutineers  were  determined  to  cut 
off  all  communication  to  or  from  the  garrison.  The 
little  party  skirted  the  line  of  sentries,  a  line  indicated 
clearly  enough  by  the  bivouac  fires  on  the  near  side  of 
them.  Round  these  large  numbers  of  mutineers  were 
moving  about,  cooking,  smoking,  and  conversing. 

"It  is  hopeless  to  attempt  to  get  through  here,"  said 
Ned. 

"We  will  go  on  to  the  road  leading  to  the  iron  bridge, s* 
the  guide  replied;  "we  can  follow  that  to  the  river,  and 
then  slip  aside." 

Here,  however,  they  were  foiled  again,  as  fires  wera 
lighted  and  there  were  sentries  on  the  road  to  forbid  all 
except  those  on  business  to  pass.     Presently  a  body  of 


29$  IN-  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

men  came  along,  bearing  shell  upon  their  heads  for  ih.j 
service  of  the  batteries  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

"Whence  are  they  fetching  these?"  Ned  asked  tho 
guide. 

"From  the  king's  magazine,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away 
to  the  right.  They  are  taking  ammunition  now,  for  the 
bridge  is  within  four  hundred  yards  of  the  Redan  Bat- 
tery, and  they  cannot  cross  at  daylight  under  fire." 

"Here  is  a  party  coming  back,"  Ned  said;  "let  us 
fall  in  behind  them,  go  to  the  magazine  and  get  shell, 
and  then  follow  back  again  till  we  are  close  to  the 
bridge,  and  trust  to  luck  in  getting  clear." 

The  guide  assented,  and  they  followed  the  Sepoy3 
down  to  the  magazine,  keeping  a  little  behind  the  others, 
and  being  the  last  to  enter  the  yard  where  the  loaded 
shell  were  standing. 

Each  took  a  shell  and  followed  closely  upon  the  heels 
of  the  party.  In  the  dark  no  one  noticed  the  addition  to 
their  number,  and  they  passed  the  sentries  on  the  road 
without  question.  Then  they  fell  a  little  behind.  The 
natives  paused  just  before  they  reached  the  bridge;  for 
the  British,  knowing  that  ammunition  was  nightly  being 
carried  over,  fired  an  occasional  shot  in  that  direction. 
The  party  halted  under  shelter  of  a  house  until  a  shob 
flew  past,  and  then  hurried  forward  across  the  exposed 
spot.  As  they  did  so  the  Warreners  and  their  guiclo 
placed  the  shells  they  were  carrying  on  the  ground, 
turned  off  from  the  road,  climbed  a  garden  wall,  and  in  a 
minute  were  close  to  the  river. 

"Go  silently,"  the  guide  said;  "there  are  some  mora 
sentries  here. ' ' 

Stealing  quietly  along,  for  they  were  all  shoeless,  they 
could  see  crouching  figures  between  them  and  the  water., 
every  twenty  yards  apart. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  I97 

"We  shall  have  to  run  the  gauntlet,  Ned, ' '  Dick  said, 
"Qur  best  chance  will  be  to  shove  one  of  these  fellovv'S 
suddenly  into  the  water,  jump  in,  and  dive  for  it.  You. 
and  I  can  dive  across  that  river,  and  we  shall  come  up 
under  the  shadow  of  the  opposite  bank." 

Ned  spoke  to  the  guide. 

' '  The  water  is  shallow  for  the  first  few  yards,  sahib, 
but  we  shall  get  across  that  into  two  feet,  which  is  deep 
enough  for  us,  before  the  sentries  have  recovered  from 
their  surprise.  They  are  sure  to  fire  at  random,  and  we 
shall  be  out  of  the  water  on  the  other  side  before  they 
have  loaded  again. ' ' 

The  plan  agreed  to,  they  stripped  off  their  uniforms  and 
crept  quietly  along  until  they  were  close  to  a  sentry. 
Then  with  a  bound  they  sprang  upon  him,  rolled  him 
over  the  bank  into  the  shallow  water,  and  dashed  forward 
themselves  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 

So  sudden  was  their  rush  that  they  were  knee-deep 
before  the  nearest  sentry  fired,  his  ball  whizzing  over 
their  heads  as  they  threw  themselves  face  downward  in. 
the  stream,  and  struck  out  under  water. 

Even  when  full  the  Goomtee  is  not  more  than  ninety 
yards  wide,  and  from  the  point  where  they  started  to 
equally  shallow  water  on  the  other  side  was  now  not; 
more  than  forty.  The  boys  could  both  dive  that  dis- 
tance ;  but  their  guide,  although  a  good  swimmer,  was  a 
less  expert  diver,  and  had  to  come  twice  to  the  surfaco 
for  breath.  He  escaped,  however,  without  a  shot ;  for, 
as  they  had  expected,  the  report  of  the  musket  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  general  volley  in  the  direction  of  the  splash, 
by  all  the  sentries  for  some  distance  on  either  side. 
Therefore,  when  the  party  rose  from  the  water  and  dashed 
up  the  other  bank,  not  a  shot  greeted  them.  It  was 
clear  running  now,  only  a  hundred  yards  up  the  slope  of 
the  garden  to  the  British  earthwork. 


193  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"We  are  friends!"  the  boys  shouted  as  they  ran,  and 
a  cheer  from  the  men  on,  watch  greeted  them.  A  few 
shots  flew  after  them  from  the  other  side  of  the  river,  but 
the,se  were  fired  at  random,  and  in  another  minute  tli9 
party  had  scrambled  over  the  earthwork  and  were  among 
friends. 

Hearty  were  the  hand-shakes  and  congratulations  be- 
stowed upon  them  all ;  and  as  the  news  that  messengers 
had  arrived  flew  like  wildfire  round  the  line  of  trenches, 
men  came  running  down,  regardless  of  the  bullets  which, 
now  that  the  enemy  were  thoroughly  roused  up,  sang 
overhead  in  all  directions. 

"We  won't  ask  your  message,"  was  the  cry,  "till  you 
have  seen  the  colonel;  but  do  tell  us,  is  help  at  hand?" 

"English  general  coming,"  the  native  guide  said. 

"Yes,"  Ned  said,  as  delighted  exclamations  at  tha 
news  arose;  "but  not  yet.  Do  not  excite  false  hope3 
among  the  ladies;  some  time  must  pass  before  help  ar- 
rives. I  must  not  say  more  till  I  have  seen  Colonel 
Inglis;  but  I  should  be  sorry  if  false  hopes  were  raised." 

Cloaks  were  lent  to  the  boys,  and  they  were  taken  at 
once  to  the  Residency,  and  along  passages  thronged  with 
sleepers  were  conducted  to  Colonel  Inglis'  room.  Re 
had  already  heard  that  the  native  messenger  had  re- 
turned, with  two  Englishmen  in  disguise,  and  he  was  up 
and  ready  to  receive  them — for  men  slept  dressed  and 
ready  for  action  at  a  moment's  call. 

"Well  done,  subadar, "  he  exclaimed,  as  the  nativo 
entered;  "you  have  nobly  earned  your  step  in  rank,  and 
the  five  thousand  rupees  promised  to  you.  Well,  what 
is  your  message?" 

"The  General  Sahib  bids  me  say  that  he  is  coming  on 
to  Lucknow  with  all  speed.  Cawnpore  was  taken  four 
days  before  I  left.     The  Nana  has  fled  from  Bithoor,  and 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  VB 

ril  goes  well.  These  officers  have  further  news  to  give 
you. ' ' 

"lam  indeed  glad  to  see  you,  gentlemen/' Colonel 
Inglis  said,  warmly  shaking  them  by  the  hand.  "Whom 
have  I  the  pleasure  of  seeing,  for  at  present  your  appear- 
ance is  admirably  correct  as  that  of  two  Sepoys?" 

"Our  name  is  Warrener,"  Ned  said;  "we  are  brothers. 
I  have  just  been  gazetted  to  the  Sixty -f ourth ;  my  brother 
Is  a  midshipman.  We  have  a  message  for  your  private 
ear,  sir;  and  if  I  might  suggest,  it  would  be  better  to 
keep  our  native  friend  close  by  for  a  few  minutes,  lest 
his  news  spread.  You  will  see  the  reason  when  we  have 
spoken  to  you." 

Colonel  Inglis  gave  the  sign  and  the  other  officers 
retired  with  the  guide. 

"Our  message,  sir,  is,  I  regret  to  say,  far  less  favor- 
able than  that  transmitted  by  the  subadar,  and  it  was  for 
that  reason  that  General  Havelock  sent  us  with  him.  If 
taken,  he  would  have  told  his  message,  for  the  general 
had  ordered  him  to  make  no  secret  of  his  instructions  if 
he  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands,  as  it  was  desirable  that 
they  should  believe  that  he  was  about  to  advance,  and 
thus  relieve  the  pressure  upon  you  by  keeping  a  large 
force  on  the  road  up  from  Cawnpore.  But  in  fact,  sir, 
General  Havelock  bids  us  tell  you  that  he  cannot  advance. 
He  has  but  a  thousand  bayonets  fit  for  service.  He  must 
hold  Cawnpore,  and  the  force  available  for  an  advance 
would  be  hopelessly  insufficient  to  fight  his  way  through 
Oude  and  force  a  road  through  the  city.  The  instant  he 
receives  reinforcements  he  will  advance,  and  will  in  the 
meantime  continue  to  make  feints,  so  as  to  keep  a  large 
force  of  the  enemy  on  the  alert.  He  fears  that  it  may  be 
a  month  before  he  will  be  able  to  advance  to  your  aid 
■with  a  chance  of  success. ' ' 


gOO  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"A  month!"  Colonel  Inglis  said;  "that  is  indeed  a 
long  time,  and  we  had  hoped  that  already  help  was  at 
Laud.  Well,  we  must  do  our  best.  We  are  even  now 
sorely  pressed,  but  I  doubt  not  we  can  hold  out  for  a 
month.  General  Havelock  cannot  accomplish  impossibil- 
ities, and  it  is  wonderful  that  he  should  have  recaptured 
Cawnpore  with  so  small  a  force. ' ' 

"We  thought  it  better  to  give  you  this  news  privately, 
colonel,  in  order  that  you  might,  should  you  think  fit, 
keep  from  the  garrison  the  knowledge  that  so  long  a  time 
must  elapse  without  succor." 

"You  were  quite  right,  sir,"  Colonel  Inglis  said;  "but 
the  truth  had  better  be  made  public.  It  is  far  better 
that  all  should  know  that  we  are  dependent  upon  our  own 
exertions  for  another  month  than  that  they  should  be 
vainly  looking  for  assistance  to  arrive.  And  now,  gen- 
tlemen, I  will  call  my  officers  in  and  you  shall  get  some 
clothes.  Unhappily,  death  is  so  busy  that  there  will  be 
no  difficulty  in  providing  you  in  that  respect.  You  must 
want  food  too,  and  that,  such  as  it  is,  is  in  plenty  also. ' ' 

The  other  officers  were  now  called  in,  and  the  com- 
mandant told  them  the  news  that  he  had  received  from 
the  Warreners.  There  was  a  look  of  disappointment  for 
a  moment,  and  then  cheering  answers  that  they  were  all 
good  for  another  month's  fighting  were  made. 

"I  know,  gentlemen,"  Colonel  Inglis  said,  "our 
thoughts  are  all  the  same.  We  are  ready  to  fight  another 
month,  but  we  dread  the  delay  for  the  sake  of  the  women 
and  children.  However,  God's  will  be  done.  All  that 
men  can  do  this  garrison  will,  I  know,  do;  and  with 
God's  help,  I  believe  that  whether  aid  comes  a  little 
sooner  or  later,  we  shall  hold  these  battered  ruins  till  it 
arrives.  Captain  Fellows,  will  you  get  these  officers 
something  to  eat,  and  some  clothes?     Then,  if  they  ara 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  201 

not  too  tired,  they  will  perhaps  not  mind  sitting  up  an 
hour  or  two  and  giving  us  the  news  from  the  outside 
world." 

Daylight  was  breaking  before  Ned  and  Dick — who  had, 
at  Colonel  Inglis*  suggestion,  separated,  Ned  going  to 
the  colonel's  room,  while  Dick  formed  the  center  of  a 
great  gathering  in  a  hall  below,  in  order  that  as  many 
might  hear  the  news  as  possible — brought  to  a  conclusion 
the  account  of  Havelock's  advance,  of  the  awful  massacre 
of  Cawnpore,  of  the  fresh  risings  that  had  taken  place  in 
various  parts  of  India,  of  the  progress  of  the  siege  of 
Delhi,  and  the  arrival  of  reinforcements  from  China  and 
England.  With  daybreak  the  cannon,  which  had  fired 
at  intervals  through  the  night,  began  to  roar  incessantly, 
and  shot  and  shell  crashed  into  the  Residency. 

"Is  this  sort  of  thing  always  going  on?"  Dick  asked 
in  astonishment. 

"Always,"  was  the  answer,  "by  day,  and  four  nights 
cut  of  five.  We  have  not  had  so  quiet  a  time  as  last 
night  for  a  week.  Now  I  will  go  and  ask  the  chief  to 
■which,  garrison  you  and  your  brother  are  to  be  assigned," 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   BESIEGED    RESIDENCY. 

The  Warreners  were  taken  to  Gubbins'  House,  or  garri- 
son, as  each  of  these  fortified  dwellings  was  now  called; 
and  the  distance,  short  as  it  was,  was  so  crowded  with 
dangers  and  disagreeables  that  they  were  astonished 
how  human  beings  could  have  supported  them  for  a 
month,  as  the  garrison  of  Lucknow  had  done.  From  all 
points  of  the  surrounding  circle  shot  and  shell  howled 
overhead,  or  crashed  into  walls  and  roofs.  Many  of  tho 
enemy's  batteries  were  not  above  a  hundred  yards  from 
the  defenses,  and  the  whistling  of  musket  balls  wa3 
incessant. 

Here  and  there,  as  they  ran  along,  great  swarms  of 
flies,  millions  in  number,  rose  from  some  spot  whei'e  a 
bullock,  killed  by  an  enemy's  shot,  had  been  hastily 
buried,  while  horrible  smells  everywhere  tainted  the  air. 

Running  across  open  spaces  and  stooping  along  be- 
neath low  wails,  the  Warreners  and  their  conductor, 
Captain  Fellows,  reached  Gubbins'  House.  Mr.  Gubbins 
himself — financial  commissioner  of  Oude,  a  man  of  great 
courage  and  firmness — received  them  warmly. 

"You  will  find  we  are  close  packed,"  he  said,  "but 
.you  will,  I  am  sure,  make  the  best  of  it.  I  am  glad  to 
have  you,  for  every  man  is  of  value  here;  and  after  the- 
bravery  you  have  shown  in  coming  through  the  enemy's 
lines,  you  will  be  just  the  right  sort  of  men  for  me.     2 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERU. 

Hunk  you  will  find  most  room  here ;  I  lost  two  of  my 
garrison  from  this  room  on  the  20th,  when  we  had  a 
tremendous  attack  all  round." 

The  room  was  small  and  dark,  as  the  window  was 
closed  by  a  bank  of  earth  built  against  it  on  the  outside. 
It  was  some  fourteen  feet  by  eight,  and  here,  including 
the  newcomers,  eight  men  lived  and  slept.  Here  the 
"Warreners,  after  a  few  words  with  those  who  were  in 
future  to  be  their  comrades,  threw  themselves  down  on 
the  ground,  and,  in  spite  of  the  din  which  raged  around 
them,  were  soon  fast  asleep. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  they  awoke,  and  they  at  once 
reported  themselves  to  Mr.  Johnson — a  police  magistrate, 
who  was  the  senior  officer  of  the  party  in  the  r.om — as 
ready  to  begin  duty. 

"You  will  not  be  on  regular  duty  till  to-night,"  he 
replied.  "Altogether,  there  are  about  forty  men  in  the 
garrison.  Eight  are  always  on  duty,  and  are  relieved 
every  four  hours.  So  we  go  on  every  twenty  hours. 
Only  half  our  set  go  on  duty  together,  as  that  gives  room 
for  those  who  remain.  Two  came  off  duty  at  eight  this 
morning,  four  are  just  going  on.  You  will  go  on  with 
the  two  who  came  off  this  morning,  at  midnight.  Be- 
sides their  sentry  work,  of  course  every  one  is  in  readi- 
ness to  man  the  walls  at  any  moment  in  case  of  alarm, 
and  a  good  deal  of  your  time  can  be  spent  at  loopholes, 
picking  off  the  enemy  directly  they  show  themselves. 
One  of  the  party,  in  turn,  cooks  each  day.  Besides  the 
fighting  duty,  there  is  any  amount  of  fatigue  work,  the 
repairing  and  strengthening  of  the  defenses,  the  fetching 
rations  and  drawing  water  for  the  house,  in  which  there 
are  over  fifty  women  and  children,  the  burying  dead 
cattle,  and  covering  blood  and  filth  with  earth.  Besides 
defending  our  own  post,  we  are,  of  course,  ready  to  ruslx 


204:  I&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

at  any  moment  to  assist  any  other  garrison  which  ma3r  b-3 
pressed.  Altogether,  you  will  think  yourself  lucky  when 
you  can  get  four  hours'  sleep  out  of  the  twenty -four. " 

"Are  our  losses  heavy?"  Ned  asked. 

"Terribly  heavy.  During  the  first  week  we  lost  twenty 
a  day  shot  in  the  houses ;  but  now  that  we  have,  as  far  as 
possible,  blocked  every  loophole  at  which  a  bullet  can 
enter,  we  are  not  losing  so  many  as  at  first,  but  the  daily 
total  is  still  heavy,  and  on  a  day  like  the  20th  we  lost 
thirty.  The  enemy  attacked  us  all  round,  and  we  mowed 
them  down  with  grape ;  we  believe  we  killed  over  a  thou- 
sand of  them.  Unfortunately,  every  day  our  losses  are 
getting  heavier  from  disease,  foul  air,  and  over-crowd- 
ing ;  the  women  and  children  suffer  awfully.  If  you  are 
disposed  to  make  yourselves  useful  when  not  on  duty, 
you  will  find  abundant  opportunity  for  kindness  among 
them.  I  will  take  you  round  the  house  and  introduce 
you  to  the  ladies,  then  you  can  go  among  them  as  you 
like. " 

First  the  Warreners  went  to  what,  in  happier  times, 
was  the  main  room  of  the  house,  a  spacious  apartment 
some  thirty-five  feet  square,  with  windows  opening  to 
the  ground  at  each  end,  to  allow  a  free  passage  of  air. 
These,  on  the  side  nearest  the  enemy,  were  completely 
close  by  a  bank  of  earth ;  while  those  on  the  other  side 
were  also  built  up  within  a  few  inches  of  the  top,  for 
thots  and  shell  could  equally  enter  them.  The  War- 
reners were  introduced  to  such  of  the  garrison  as  were 
in,  the  greater  part  being  at  work  outside  the  house  re- 
pairing a  bank  which  had  been  injured  during  the  day. 
Then  Mr.  Johnson  went  to  one  of  the  rooms  leading  off 
the  main  apartment.  A  curtain  hung  across  it  instead  of 
a  door,  and  this  was  now  drawn  aside  to  allow  what  air 
there  was  to  circulate. 


W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  g.05 

"May  I  come  in?"  be  asked. 

"Certainly,  Mr.  Johnson,"  a  lady  said,  coming  to  the 
entrance. 

"Mrs.  Har greaves,  let  me  introduce  the  Messrs.  War- 
rener,  the  gentlemen  who  hare  so  gallantly  come  through 
the  enemy's  lines  with  the  message.  They  are  to  form 
part  of  our  garrison. ' ' 

The  lady  held  out  her  hand,  but  with  a  slight  air  of 
surprise. 

"I  suppose  our  color  strikes  you  as  peculiar,  Mrs.  Har- 
greaves, "  Ned  said,  "but  it  will  wear  off  in  a  few  days; 
it  is  iodine,  and  we  are  already  a  good  many  shades 
lighter  than  when  we  started. ' ' 

"How  silly  of  me  not  to  think  of  that,"  Mrs.  Har- 
greaves  said;  "of  course  I  heard  that  you  were  disguised. 
But  please  come  in ;  it  is  not  much  of  a  room  to  receive 
in,  but  we  are  past  thinking  of  that  now.  My  daughter, 
Mrs.  Righton;  her  husband  is  with  mine  on  guard  at 
present.  These  are  my  daughters,  Edith  and  Nelly; 
these  five  children  are  my  grandchildren.  My  dears, 
these  are  the  Messrs.  Warrener,  who  brought  the  news 
from  General  Havelock.  Their  faces  are  stained,  but 
will  be  white  again  in  time." 

The  ladies  all  shook  hands  with  the  Warreners,  who 
looked  with  surprise  on  the  neatness  which  prevailed  in 
this  crowded  little  room.  On  the  ground,  by  the  walls, 
were  several  rolls  of  bedding,  covered  over  with  shawld, 
and  forming  seats  or  lounges.  On  the  top  of  one  of  the 
piles  two  little  children  were  fast  asleep.  A  girl  of  six 
sat  in  a  corner  on  the  ground  reading.  There  were  two 
or  three  chairs,  and  these  the  ladies,  seating  themselves 
on  the  divan,  as  they  called  the  bedding,  asked  then* 
visitors  to  take. 

Mrs.  Hargreaves  was  perhaps  forty-five  years  old,  with 


206  J-^  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

B,  pleasant  face,  marked  by  firmness  and  intelligence, 
Mrs.  Righton  was  twenty-five  or  twenty-six,  and  her  pals 
face  showed  more  than  that  of  her  mother  the  effects  of 
the  anxiety  and  confinement  of  the  siege.  Edith  and 
Kelly  were  sixteen  and  fifteen  respectively,  and  although 
pale,  the  siege  had  not  sufficed  to  mar  their  bright  faces 
cr  to  crush  their  spirits. 

"Dear  me,"  Nelly  said,  "why,  you  look  to  me  to  be 
quite  boys;  why,  you  can't  be  much  older  than  I  am,  are 
you?" 

"My  dear  Nelly,"  her  mother  said  reprovingly;  but 
Dick  laughed  heartily. 

"I  am  not  much  older  than  you  are,"  he  said;  "a  year 
perhaps,  but  not  more.  I  am  a  midshipman  in  the 
Agamemnon.  My  brother  is  a  year  older  than  I  am,  and 
he  is  gazetted  to  the  Sixty -fourth ;  so  you  see,  if  the 
times  were  different,  we  should  be  just  the  right  age  to 
be  your  devoted  servants." 

"Oh,  you  can  be  that  now,"  Nelly  said.  "I  am  sure 
we  want  them  more  than  ever;  don't  we,  mamma?" 

"I  think  •  you  have  more  than  your  share  of  servants 
now,  Nelly,"  replied  her  mother.  "We  are  really  most 
fortunate,  Mr.  Johnson,  in  having  our  ayah  still  with  us; 
bo  many  were  deserted  by  their  servants  altogether,  and 
Ehe  is  an  admirable  nurse.  I  do  not  know  what  we 
should  do  without  her,  for  the  heat  and  confinement  make 
the  poor  children  sadly  fractious.  We  were  most  lucky 
yesterday,  for  we  managed  to  secure  a  dobee  for  the  day, 
and  you  see  the  result;"  and  she  smilingly  indicated  the 
pretty  light  muslins  in  which  her  daughters  were 
dressed.  "You  see  us  quite  at  our  best,"  she  said,  turn- 
ing to  the  boys.  "But  we  have  indeed, "  she  went  on 
seriously,  "every  reason  to  be  thankful.  So  far,  we  have 
Slot  lost  any  of  our  party,  and  there  are  few  indeed  who 


W  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  2Q"t 

can  say  this.  These  are  terrible  times,  young  gentlemen, 
and  we  are  all  in  God's  hands.  We  are  exceptionally 
well  off,  but  we  find  our  hands  full.  My  eldest  daugh- 
ter has  to  aid  the  ayah  with  the  children ;  then  there  is 
the  cooking  to  be  done  by  me,  and  the  room  to  be  kept 
tidy  by  Edith  and  Nelly,  and  there  are  so  many  sick  and 
suffering  to  be  attended  to.  You  will  never  find  us  all 
here  before  six  in  the  evening ;  we  are  busy  all  day ;  but 
we  shall  be  always  glad  to  see  you  when  you  can  spare 
time  for  a  chat  in  the  evening.  All  the  visitors  we  re- 
cieve  are  not  so  welcome,  I  can  assure  you;"  and  she 
pointed  to  three  holes  in  the  wall  where  the  enemy's  shot 
had  crashed  through. 

"That  is  a  very  noble  woman,"  Mr.  Johnson  said,  as 
they  went  out.  "She  spends  many  hours  every  day 
down  at  the  military  hospital,  where  the  scenes  are 
dreadful,  and  where  the  enemy's  shot  and  shell  frequently 
find  entry,  killing  alike  the  wounded  and  their  attend- 
ants. The  married  daughter  looks  after  her  children  and 
the  neatness  of  the  rooms.  The  young  girls  are  busy  all 
day  about  the  house,  nursing  sick  children,  and  yet.  as 
you  see,  all  are  bright,  pleasant,  and  the  picture  of  neat- 
ness, marvelous  contrasts  indeed  to  the  disorder  and 
wretchedness  prevailing  among  many,  who  might,  by 
making  an  effort,  be  as  bright  and  as  comfortable  as  they 
are.  There  are,  as  you  will  find,  many  brilliant  exam- 
ples of  female  heroism  and  self-devotion  exhibited  here ; 
but  in  some  instances  women  seem  to  try  how  helpless, 
how  foolish,  a  silly  woman  can  be.  Ah, "  he  broke  off 
as  a  terrific  crash,  followed  by  a  loud  scream  was  heard, 
"I  fear  that  shell  has  done  mischief." 

"Mrs.  Shelton  is  killed,"  a  woman  said,  running  out, 
"and  Lucy  Shelton  has  had  her  arm  cut  ofi\  Whers  ia 
Dr.  Topham?" 


£03  JN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Sirs.  Hargreaves  came  out  of  her  door  with  a  basin  of 
vater  and  some  linen  torn  into  strips  for  bandages,  jusi 
as  the  doctor  ran  in  from  the  Sikh  Square,  where  he  had 
been  attending  to  several  casualties. 

"That  is  right,"  he  nodded  to  Mrs.  Hargreaves;  "this 
is  a  bad  business,  I  fear." 

"All  hands  to  repair  defences!"  was  now  the  order, 
and  the  boys  followed  Mr.  Johnson  outside. 

"The  scoundrels  are  busy  this  evening,"  he  observed. 
"It  sounds  like  a  boiler-maker's  shop"  Dick  said;  "if 
only  one  in  a  hundred  bullets  were  to  hit,  there  would  not 
he  many  alive  by  to-morrow  morning." 

"No,  indeed,"  Mr.  Johnson  replied;  "they  are  of 
course  firing  to  some  extent  at  random,  but  they  aim  at 
the  points  where  they  think  it  likely  that  we  may  be  at 
work,  and  their  fire  adds  greatly  to  our  difficulty  in  set- 
ting right  at  night  the  damage  they  do  in  the  daytime." 

For  the  next  four  hours  the  lads  were  hard  at  work 
with  the  rest  of  the  garrison.  Earth  was  brought  in 
sacks  or  baskets  and  piled  up,  stockades  repaired,  and 
fascines  and  gabions  mended.  The  work  would  have 
been  hard  anywhere;  on  an  August  night  in  India  it  was 
exhausting.  All  the  time  that  they  were  at  work  the 
bullets  continued  to  fly  thickly  overhead,  striking  the 
wall  of  the  house  with  a  sharp  crack,  or  burying  them- 
selves with  a  short  thud  in  the  earth.  Bound  shot  and 
shell  at  times  crashed  through  the  upper  part  of  the 
house,  which  was  uninhabited;  while  from  the  terraced 
roof,  and  from  the  battery  in  the  corner  of  the  garden, 
the  crack  of  the  defenders'  rifles  answered  the  enemy's 
fire. 

By  the  time  that  the  work  was  done  it  was  midnight, 
aad  the  Warreners'  turn  for  guard.  They  had  received 
rifles,  and  were  posted  with  six  others  in  the  battery. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  209 

j^iiere  were  three  guns  here,  all  of  which  were  loaded  fca> 
the  muzzle  with  grape ;  three  artillerymen,  wrapped  in 
their  cloaks,  lay  asleep  beside  them,  for  the  number  ca 
artillerymen  was  so  small  that  the  men  were  continu- 
ally on  duty,  snatching  what  sleep  they  could  by  their 
guns  during  the  intervals  of  fighting.  The  orders  were 
to  listen  attentively  for  the  sound  of  the  movement  of  any 
body  of  men,  and  to  fire  occasionally  at  the  flashes  of  the 
enemy's  guns.  The  four  hours  passed  rapidly,  for  the 
novelty  of  the  work,  the  thunder  of  cannon  and  crackling 
of  musketry,  all  round  the  Residency,  were  so  exciting 
that  the  Warreners  were  surprised  when  the  relief  ar- 
rived. They  retired  to  their  room,  and  were  soon  asleep ; 
but  in  an  hour  the  alarm  was  sounded,  and  the  whole 
force  at  the  post  rushed  to  repel  an  attack.  Heralded  by 
a  storm  of  fire  from  every  gun  which  could  be  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  battery,  thousands  of  fanatics  rushed  from 
the  shelter  of  the  houses  outside  the  intrenchments  and 
swarmed  down  upon  it.  The  garrison  lay  quiet  behind 
the  parapet  until  the  approach  of  the  foe  caused  the 
enemy's  cannon  to  cease  their  fire.  Then  they  leaped  to 
their  feet  and  poured  a  volley  into  the  mass.  So  great 
were  their  numbers,  however,  that  the  gaps  were  closed 
in  a  moment,  and  with  yells  and  shouts  the  enemy  leaped 
into  the  ditch  and  tried  to  climb  the  earthworks  of  the 
battery.  Fortunately,  at  this  moment  the  reserve  of 
fifty  men  of  the  Thirty-second,  which  were  always  kept 
ready  to  launch  at  any  threatened  point,  came  up  at  a 
run,  and  their  volley  over  the  parapet  staggered  the  foe. 
Desperately  the  leaders  called  upon  them  to  climb  the 
earthworks,  but  the  few  who  succeeded  in  doing  so  were 
bayoneted  and  thrown  back  into  the  ditch,  while  a  con- 
tinuous musketry  fire  was  poured  into  the  crowd.  Over 
and  over  again  the  guns,  charged  with  grape,  swept  lines 


£1$  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

through  their  ranks,  and  at  last,  dispirited  and  beaten, 
they  fell  back  again  to  the  shelter  from  which  they  had 
emerged.  The  Thirty-second  men  then  returned  to  the 
brigade  mess-room,  and  the  garrison  of  the  fort  were 
about  to  turn  in  when  Mr.  Gubbins  said  cheerfully : 

"Now,  lads,  we  have  done  with  those  fellows  for  to- 
day, I  fancy.  I  want  some  volunteers  to  bury  those 
horses  which  were  killed  yesterday ;  it's  an  unpleasant 
job,  but  it's  got  to  be  done." 

The  men's  faces  testified  to  the  dislike  they  felt  for  the 
business ;  but  they  knew  it  was  necessary,  and  all  made 
their  way  to  the  yard,  where,  close  by  the  cattle,  the 
horses  were  confined.  The  boys  understood  at  once  the 
repugnance  which  was  felt  to  approaching  this  part  of 
the  fort.  The  ground  was  covered  deep  with  flies,  who 
rose  in  a  black  cloud,  with  a  perfect  roar  of  buzzing. 

Lucknow  was  always  celebrated  for  its  plague  of  flies, 
but  during  the  siege  the  nuisance  assumed  surprising 
proportions.  The  number  of  cattle  and  animals  collected, 
the  blood  split  in  the  slaughteryard,  the  impossibility 
of  preserving  the  cleanliness  so  necessary  in  a  hot  clim- 
ate, all  combined  to  generate  swarras  of  flies,  which 
rivalled  those  of  Egypt.  The  garrison  waged  war  against 
them,  but  in  vain.  Powder  was  plentiful,  and  frequently 
many  square  yards  of  infected  ground,  where  the  flies 
Bwarrned  thickest,  would  be  lightly  sprinkled  with  it, 
and  countless  legions  blown  into  the  air;  but  these 
wholesale  executions,  however  often  repeated,  appeared 
to  make  no  impression  whatever  on  the  teeming  armies  of 
persecutors. 

Their  task  finished,  the  fatigue  party  returned  to  their 
houses,  and  then  all  who  had  not  other  duties  threw 
themselves  down  to  snatch  a  short  sleep.  In  spite  of  a 
sight  passed  without  rest,  sleep  was  not  easily  wooed. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  21 1 

The  heat  in  the  open  air  was  terrific,  in  the  close  little 
room  it  was  stifling ;  while  the  countless  flies  irritated 
them  almost  to  madness.  There  was  indeed  but  the 
choice  of  two  evils;  to  cover  closely  their  faces  and 
hands,  and  lie  bathed  in  perspiraiton ;  or  to  breathe 
freely,  and  bear  the  flies  as  best  they  might.  The 
former  alternative  was  generally  chosen,  as  heat,  however 
great,  may  be  endured  in  quiet,  and  sleep  may  insensibly 
come  on;  but  sleep,  with  a  host  of  flies  incessantly 
nestling  on  every  exposed  part  of  the  face  and  body,  was 
clearly  an  impossibility. 

That  day  was  a  bad  one  for  the  defenders  of  Grubbins' 
Garrison,  for  no  less  than  twelve  shells  penetrated  the 
house,  and  five  of  the  occupants  were  killed  or  wounded. 
The  shells  came  from  a  newly-erected  battery  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  to  the  north.  Among  the  killed  was  one 
of  Mrs.  Eighton's  children,  and  the  boys  first  learned 
the  news  when,  on  rising  from  a  fruitless  attempt  to 
sleep,  they  went  to  get  a  little  fresh  air  outside,  Edith 
and  Nelly  Hargreaves  came  out  from  the  door  with  jugs 
on  their  way  to  fetch  water. 

The  Warreners  at  once  offered  to  fetch  it  for  them,  and 
as  they  spoke  they  saw  that  the  girls'  faces  were  both 
swollen  with  crying. 

"Is  anything  the  matter,  Miss  Hargreaves,"  Ned 
asked. 

"Have  you  not  heard, "  Edith  said,  "how  poor  little 
Rupert  has  been  killed  |by  a  shell  ?  The  ayah  was  badly 
hurt,  and  we  all  had  close  escapes ;  the  shells  from  that 
battery  are  terrible. ' ' 

Expressing  their  sorrow  at  the  news,  the  boys  took  the 
jugs,  and  crossing  the  yard  to  the  well,  filled  and  brought 
them  back. 

"I  wish  we   could  do   something  to   silence   that  bat- 


2\%  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

tery,"  said  Dick;  "it  will  knock  the  house  about  on? 
ears,  and  we  shall  be  having  the  women  and  children 
killed  every  day." 

"Let's  go  and  have  a  look  at  it  from  the  roof,"  replied 
Ned. 

The  roof  was,  like  those  of  most  of  the  houses  in  the 
Kesidency,  flat,  and  intended  for  the  inmates  to  sit  and 
enjoy  the  evening  breeze.  The  parapet  was  very  low, 
but  this  had  been  raised  by  a  line  of  sand-bags,  and  be- 
hind them  five  or  sis  of  the  defenders  were  lying,  firing 
through  the  openings  between  the  bags,  in  answer  to  tha 
storm  of  musketry  which  the  enemy  was  keeping  up  on 
the  post. 

Stooping  low  to  avoid  the  bullets  which  were  singing 
overhead,  the  Warreners  moved  across  the  terrace,  and 
lying  down,  peered  out  through  the  holes  which  had  been 
left  for  musketry.  Gubbins'  House  stood  on  one  of  the 
highest  points  of  the  ground  enclosed  in  the  defences,  and 
from  it  they  could  obtain  a  view  of  nearly  the  whole 
circle  of  the  enemy's  batteries.  They  were  indeed  higher 
than  the  roofs  of  most  of  the  houses  held  by  the  enemy, 
but  one  of  these,  distant  only  some  fifty  yards  from  the 
Sikh  Square,  dominated  the  whole  line  of  the  British 
defences  on  that  side,  and  an  occasional  crack  of  a  rifle 
from  its  roof  showed  that  the  advantage  was  duly  ap- 
preciated. 

"What  do  they  cal1  that  house?"  Ned  asked  one  of  tha 
officers  on  the  terrace. 

"That  is  Johannes'  house,"  he  answered.  "It  was  a 
terrible  mistake  that  we  did  not  destroy  it  before  tha 
siege  began ;  it  is  an  awful  thorn  in  our  side.  There  is 
a  black  scoundrel,  a  negro,  in  the  service  of  the  King  of 
Oude,  who  has  his  post  there ;  he  is  a  magnificent  shot, 
and  he  has  killed  a  great  number  of  ours.  It  is  almost 
certain  death  to  show  a  head  within  the  line  of  his  fire." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  213 

"I  wonder  we  have  not  made  a  sortie  and  set  fire  to 
the  place, ' '  said  Ned. 

"The  scoundrels  are  so  numerous  that  we  could  only 
hope  to  succeed  with  considerable  loss,  and  we  are  so 
weak  already  that  we  can't  afford  it.  So  the  chief  sets 
his  face  against  sorties,  but  I  expect  that  we  shall  be 
driven  to  it  one  of  these  days.  That  new  battery  is  ter- 
ribly troublesome  also.  There,  do  you  see,  it  lies  just 
over  that  brow,  so  that  the  shot  from  our  battery  cannot 
touch  it,  while  it  can  pound  away  at  our  house,  and, 
indeed,  at  all  the  houses  along  this  line. ' ' 

"I  should  have  thought,"  Dick  said,  "that  a  rush  at 
night  might  carry  it,  and  spike  the  guns." 

"No;  we  should  be  certain  to  make  some  sort  of  noise, 
however  quiet  we  were.  There  are  six  guns,  all  loaded 
at  nightfall  to  the  muzzle  with  grape ;  we  know  that,  for 
once  they  fancied  they  heard  us  coming,  and  they  fired 
such  a  storm  of  grape  that  we  should  have  been  all  swept 
away ;  besides  which,  there  are  a  large  number  of  the 
fellows  sleeping  round;  and  although  sometimes  the 
battery  ceases  firing  for  some  hours,  the  musketry  goes 
on  more  or  less  during  the  night. ' ' 

The  "Warreners  lay  wistfully  watching  the  battery, 
whose  shots  frequently  struck  the  house,  and  two  or  three 
times  knocked  down  a  portion  of  the  sand-bag  parapet — 
the  damage  being  at  once  repaired  with  bags  lying  in 
readiness,  but  always  under  a  storm  of  musketry,  which 
opened  in  the  hopes  of  hitting  the  men  engaged  upon  the 
work ;  these  were,  however,  accustomed  to  it,  and  built 
up  the  sand-bags  without  showing  a  limb  to  the  enemy's 
shot. 

"There  were  two  children  killed  by  that  last  shot,"  an 
officer  said,  coming  up  from  below  and  joining  them; 
"it  made  its  way  through  the  earth  and  broke  in  through 
V»  blocked-up  window." 


gl4  W  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"We  must  silence  that  battery,  Ned,  -whatever  comes 
cf  it,"  Dick  said  in  his  brother's  ear. 

"I  agree  with  you,  Dick;  but  how  is  it  to  be  done? 
have  you  got  an  idea?" 

"Well,  my  idea  is  this,"  the  midshipman  said.  "X 
think  you  and  I  might  choose  a  dark  night,  as  it  will  be 
to-night.  Take  the  bearings  of  the  battery  exactly ;  then 
when  they  stop  firing,  and  we  think  the  gunners  are 
asleep,  crawl  out  and  make  for  the  guns.  When  we  get 
there  we  can  make  our  way  among  them,  keeping  on  tho 
ground  so  that  the  sentry  cannot  see  us  against  the  sky; 
and  then  with  a  sponge  full  of  water  we  can  give  a 
squeeze  on  each  of  the  touch-holes,  so  there  would  be  no 
chance  of  their  going  off  till  the  charges  were  drawn. 
Then  we  could  make  our  way  back  and  tell  Gubbins  tho 
guns  are  disabled,  and  he  can  take  out  a  party,  carry 
them  with  a  rush,  and  spike  them  permanently." 

"Capital,  Dick;  I'm  with  you,  old  boy." 

"Now  let  us  take  the  exact  bearings  of  the  place. 
There  was  a  lane,  you  see,  before  the  houses  were  pulled 
down,  running  along  from  beyond  that  corner  nearly  to 
the  guns.  When  we  get  out  we  must  steer  for  that,  be- 
cause it  is  comparatively  clear  from  rubbish  and  we  ain'i; 
so  likely  to  knock  a  stone  over  and  make  a  row.  We  must 
choose  some  time  when  they  are  pounding  away  some- 
where else  and  then  we  shan't  be  heard  even  if  we  do 
make  a  little  noise.  We  will  ask  Mrs.  Hargreaves  for  a 
couple  of  pieces  of  sponge ;  we  need  not  tell  her  what  wo 
want  them  for. ' ' 

"And  you  think  to-night,  Dick?" 

"Well,  to-night  is  just  as  likely  to  succeed  as  any  other 
night,  and  the  sooner  the  thing  is  done  the  better. 
Johnson  commands  the  guard  from  twleve  to  four,  and. 
he  is  an  easy-going  fellow  and  will  let  us  slip  out,  whiia 
some  of  the  others  wouldn't." 


£N  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SPIKING  THE  GUNS. 

As  soon  as  night  fell  a  little  procession  with  three  little 
forms  on  trays  covered  with  white  cloths,  and  two  of 
larger  size,  started  from  Gubbins'  House  to  the  church- 
yard. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hargreaves  and  Mrs.  Eighton  and 
her  husband,  with  two  other  women,  followed.  Thai 
morning  all  the  five,  now  to  be  laid  in  the  earth,  were 
strong  and  well ;  but  death  had  been  busy.  In  such  a 
climate  as  that,  and  in  so  crowded  a  dwelling,  no  delay 
could  take  place  between  death  and  burial,  and  the  vic- 
tims of  each  day  were  buried  at  nightfall.  There  was  no 
time  to  make  coffins,  no  men  to  spare  for  the  work;  and 
as  each  fell,  so  were  they  committed  to  the  earth. 

A  little  distance  from  Gubbins'  House  the  procession 
joined  a  larger  one  with  the  day's  victims  from  the  other 
parts  of  the  garrison — a  total  of  twenty -four,  young  and 
old.  At  the  head  of  the  procession  walked  the  Reverend 
Mr.  Polehampton,  one  of  the  chaplains,  who  was  distin- 
guished for  the  bravery  and  self-devotion  with  which  he 
labored  among  the  sick  and  wounded.  The  service  on 
which  they  were  now  engaged  was  in  itself  dangerous, 
for  the  churchyard  was  very  exposed  to  the  enemy's  fire, 
and — for  they  were  throughout  the  siege  remarkably  well-- 
informed  of  what  was  taking  place  within  the  Residency 
— every  evening  they  opened  a  heavy  fire  in  the  direction 
of  the  spot  where  they  knew  a  portion  of  the  garrison 


216  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

•would  be  engaged  in  this  sad  avocation.  Quietly  and 
steadily  the  little  procession  moved  along,  though  bullets 
•whistled  and  shells  hissed  around  them.  Each  stretcher 
Vv'ith  an  adult  body  was  carried  by  four  soldiers,  whila 
some  of  the  little  ones'  bodies  were  carried  by  their 
mothers  as  if  alive.  Mrs.  Hargreaves  and  her  daughter 
carried  between  them  the  tray  on  which  the  body  of  little 
Rupert  Bighton  lay.  Arrived  at  the  churchyard,  a  long 
shallow  trench,  six  feet  wide,  had  been  prepared,  and  in 
this,  side  by  side,  the  dead  were  tenderly  placed.  Then 
Mr.  Polehampton  spoke  a  few  words  of  prayer  and  com- 
fort, and  the  mourners  turned  away,  happily  without  ona 
of  them  having  been  struck  by  the  bullets  which  sang 
around,  while  some  of  the  soldiers  speedily  filled  in  tho 
grave. 

While  the  sad  procession  had  been  absent  the  boys  had 
gone  to  Mrs.  Hargreaves'  room.  The  curtain  was  drawn, 
and  they  could  hear  the  girls  sobbing  inside. 

"Please,  Miss  Hargreaves,  can  I  speak  to  you  for  a 
moment?"  Ned  said.  "I  would  not  intrude,  but  it  is 
something  particular." 

Edith  Hargreaves  came  to  the  door. 

"Please,"  Ned  went  on,  "will  you  give  us  two  good- 
sized  pieces  of  sponge?  We  don't  know  any  one  else  to 
ask,  and — but  you  must  not  say  a  word  to  anyone — my 
brother  and  myself  mean  to  go  out  to-night  to  silenca 
that  battery  which  is  doing  such  damage." 

"Silence  that  battery!"  Edith  exclaimed  in  surprise, 
"Oh,  if  you  could  do  that;  but  how  is  it  possible?" 

"Oh,  you  dear  boy,"  Nelly,  who  had  come  to  tha 
door,  exclaimed  impetuously,  "if  you  could  but  do  that 
every  one  would  love  you.  We  shall  all  be  killed  if  that 
terrible  battery  goes  on.     But  how  are  you  going  to  do  it?" 

"I  don't  say  we  are  going  to  do  it,"  Ned  said,  smiling 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  217 

£>i  the   girls'   excitement,  "but  we   are   going  to  try  to- 

night.  We'll  tell  you  all  about  it  in  the  morning  when 
it  is  done;  that  is,"  he  said  seriously,  "if  we  come  back 
to  tell  it.  But  you  must  not  ask  any  questions  now,  and 
please  give  us  the  pieces  of  sponge." 

Edith  disappeared  for  a  moment,  and  came  back  with 
two  large  pieces  of  sponge. 

"We  will  not  ask,  as  you  say  we  must  not,"  she  said 
quietly,  "but  I  know  you  are  going  to  run  some  fright- 
ful danger.  I  may  tell  mamma  and  Carry  when  they 
come  back  that  much,  may  I  not?  and  we  will  all  keep 
awake  and  pray  for  you  to-night — God  bless  you  both!" 
And  with  a  warm  clasp  of  the  hands  the  girls  went  back 
into  their  room  again. 

"I  tell  you  what,  Ned,"  the  midshipman  said  emphat- 
ically, when  they  went  out  into  the  ah',  "if  I  live  through 
this  war  I'll  marry  Nelly  Hargreaves ;  that  is, "  he  added, 
"if  she'll  have  me,  and  will  wait  a  bit.  She  is  a  brick, 
and  no  mistake.  I  never  felt  reaL  in  love  before ;  not 
regularly,  you  know. ' ' 

At  any  other  time  Ned  would  have  laughed ;  but  with 
Edith's  farewell  words  in  his  ear  he  was  little  disposed 
for  mirth,  and  he  merely  put  his  hand  on  Dick's 
shoulder,  and  said : 

"There  will  be  time  to  talk  about  that  in  the  future, 
IDick.  There's  the  battery  opening  in  earnest.  There! 
Mr.  Gubbins  is  calling  for  all.  hand ,3  on  the  roof  with 
their  rifles  to  try  and  silence  it.     Come  along." 

For  an  hour  the  fire  on  both  sides  was  incessant.  The 
six  guns  of  the  battery  concentrated  their  fire  upon 
Gubbins'  house,  while  from  the  walls  and  houses  on 
cither  side  of  it  the  fire  of  the  musketry  flashed  unceas- 
ingly, sending  a  hail  of  shot  to  keep  down  the  reply  from 
the  roof. 


213  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

On  their  side  the  garrison  on  the  terrace  disregarded 
the  musketry  fire,  but,  crowded  behind  the  sand-bag.-;, 
kept  up  a  steady  and  concentrated  fire  at  the  flashes  of 
the  cannon ;  while  from  the  battery  below  the  gunners, 
unable  to  touch  the  enemy's  battery,  discharged  grape  at 
the  houses  tenanted  by  the  enemy's  infantry.  The 
Sepoys,  carefully  instructed  in  our  service,  had  con- 
structed shields  of  rope  to  each  gun  to  protect  the  gun- 
ners, but  those,  at  the  best,  could  cover  but  one  or  two 
men,  and  the  fire  from  the  parapet  inflicted  such  heavy 
losses  upon  the  gunners  that  after  a  time  their  firs 
dropped,  and  an  hour  from  the  commencement  of  th3 
cannonade  all  was  still  again  on  both  sides.  The  Sepoy 
guns  were  silenced. 

It  was  now  ten  o'clock,  and  the  Ywirreners  went  and 
lay  down  quietly  for  a  couple  of  hours.  Then  they  heard 
the  guard  changed,  and  after  waiting  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  they  went  out  to  the  battery,  having  first  filled  their 
sponges  with  water.     There  they  joined  Mr.  Johnson. 

"Can't  sleep,  boys?"  he  asked:  "those flies  are  enough 
to  drive  one  mad.  You  will  get  accustomed  to  them 
after  a  bit. ' ' 

"It  is  not  exactly  that,  sir,"  Ned  said,  "but  we  wanted 
to  speak  to  you.  Dick  and  I  have  made  up  our  minds  to 
silence  that  battery.  We  have  got  sponges  full  of  water 
and  we  mean  to  go  out  and  drown  the  priming.  Then 
when  we  come  back  and  tell  Mr.  Gubbins,  I  dare  say  ho 
will  take  out  a  party,  make  a  rush,  and  spike  them." 

"Why,  you  must  be  mad  to  think  of  such  a  thing!''' 
Mr.  Johnson  said,  in  astonishment. 

"I  think  it  is  easy  enough,  sir,"  Ned  replied;  "at  any 
rate,  we  mean  to  try." 

"I  can't  let  you  go  without  leave,"  Mr.  Johnson  said. 

"No,  sir,  and  so  we  are  not  going  to  tell  you  we  ara 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  219 

going,"  Ned  laughed.  "What  we  want  to  ask  you  is  to 
tell  your  men  not  to  fire  if  they  hear  a  noise  close  by  in 
the  next  few  minutes,  and  after  that  to  listen  for  a  whistle 
like  this.  If  they  hear  that,  they  are  not  to  fire  at  any 
one  approaching  from  the  outside.     Good-by,  sir." 

And  without  waiting  for  Mr.  Johnson  to  make  up  his 
mind  whether  or  not  his  duty  compelled  him  to  arrest 
them,  to  prevent  them  from  carrying  out  the  mad 
scheme  of  which  Ned  had  spoken,  the  Warreners  glided 
off  into  the  darkness. 

They  had  obtained  a  couple  of  native  daggers,  and 
took  no  other  arms.  They  did  not  take  off  their  boots, 
but  wound  round  them  numerous  strips  of  blanket,  so 
that  they  would  tread  noiselessly,  and  yet  if  obliged  to 
run  for  it  would  avoid  the  risk  of  cutting  their  feet  and 
disabling  themselves  in  their  flight.  Then,  making  sure 
that  by  this  time  Mr.  Johnson  would  have  given  orders 
to  his  men  not  to  fire  if  they  heard  a  noise  close  at  hand, 
they  went  noiselessly  to  the  breastwork  which  ran  from 
the  battery  to  the  house,  climbed  over  it,  and  dropped 
into  the  trench  beyond. 

Standing  on  the  battery  close  beside  them,  they  saw 
against  the  sky  the  figure  of  Mr.  Johnson. 

"Good-by,  sir,"  Ned  said  softly;  "we  will  be  back  in 
half  an  hour  if  we  have  luck. " 

Then  they  picked  their  way  carefully  over  the  rough 
ground  till  they  reached  the  lane,  and  then  walked  boldly 
but  noiselessly  forward,  for  they  knew  that  for  a  little 
way  there  was  no  risk  of  meeting  an  enemy,  and  that  in 
the  darkness  they  were  perfectly  invisible  to  any  native 
posted  near  the  guns.  After  fifty  yards'  walking  they 
dropped  on  their  hands  and  knees. 

Although  the  guns  had  been  absolutely  silent  since 
their  fire  ceased  at  ten  o'clock,  a  dropping  musketry  fire 


229  W-  TIME8  OF  PERIL. 

from  the  houses  and  walls  on  either  side  had,  as  usualj 
continued.  This  indicated  to  the  boys  pretty  accurately 
the  position  of  the  guns.  Crawling  forward  foot  by  f  oot> 
they  reached  the  little  ridge  which  sheltered  the  guns 
from  the  battery  in  Gubbins'  garden. 

The  guns  themselves  they  could  not  see,  for  behind 
them  was  a  house,  and  except  against  the  sky  line, 
nothing  was  visible.  They  themselves  were,  as  they 
knew,  in  a  line  between  Gubbins'  house  and  anyone  who 
might  be  standing  at  the  guns,  so  that  they  would  not 
show  against  the  sky.  They  could  hear  talking  among 
the  houses  on  either  side  of  the  guns,  and  could  see  the 
light  of  fires,  showing  that  while  some  of  their  enemies 
were  keeping  up  a  dropping  fire,  others  were  passing  the 
night,  as  is  often  the  native  custom,  round  the  fires, 
smoking  and  cooking.  There  was  a  faint  talk  going  on 
ahead,  too,  beyond  the  guns ;  but  the  enemy  had  had  too 
severe  a  lesson  of  the  accuracy  of  the  English  rifle-fire  to 
dare  to  light  a  fire  there. 

Having  taken  in  the  scene,  the  boys  moved  forward, 
inch  by  inch.  Presently  Ned  put  his  hand  on  something 
which,  for  a  moment,  made  him  start  back;  an  instant's 
thought,  however,  reassurred  him ;  it  was  a  man,  but  the 
hardness  of  the  touch  told  that  it  was  not  a  living  one. 
Crawling  past  it,  the  lads  found  other  bodies  lying 
thickly,  and  then  they  touched  a  wheel.  They  had  ar- 
rived at  the  guns,  and  the  bodies  were  those  of  the  men 
shot  down  a  few  hours  before  in  the  act  of  loading. 

Behind  the  guns  a  number  of  artillerymen  were,  as  the 
boys  could  hear,  sitting  and  talking ;  but  the  guns  them- 
selves stood  alone  and  unguarded.  A  clasp  of  the  hand 
and  the  boys  parted,  one  going,  as  previously  arranged, 
each  way.  Ned  rose  very  quietly  by  the  side  of  the  gun, 
keeping  his  head,  however,  below  its  level,  and  running 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  221 

Ms  hand  along  it  until  it  came  to  the  breech.  The 
touch-hole  was  covered  by  a  wad  of  cloth  to  keep  tho 
power  dry  from  the  heavy  dew.  This  he  removed,  put 
up  his  hand  again  with  the  wet  sponge,  gave  a  squeeze, 
and  then  cautiously  replaced  the  covering. 

Dick  did  the  same  with  the  gun  on  the  right,  and  so 
each  crept  along  from  gun  to  gun,  until  the  six  guns 
were  disabled.  Then  they  crawled  back  and  joined  each 
other. 

A  clasp  of  the  hands  in  congratulation,  and  then  they 
were  starting  to  return  when  they  heard  a  dull  tramp  and 
the  head  of  a  dark  column  came  along  just  ahead  of  them. 
The  boys  shrank  back  under  the  guns,  and  lay  flat  among 
the  bodies  of  the  dead.  The  column  halted  at  the  guns, 
and  a  voice  asked : 

"Is  the  colonel  here?" 

"Here  am  I,"  said  a  voice  from  behind  the  guns,  and 
a  native  officer  came  forward. 

"We  are  going  to  make  an  attack  from  the  house  of 
Johannes.  We  shall  be  strong  and  shall  sweep  the  Kaffirs 
before  us.  It  is  the  order  of  the  general  that  you  open 
with  your  guns  here  to  distract  their  attention. ' ' 

"Will  it  please  you  to  represent  to  the  general  that  we 
have  fought  this  evening,  and  that  half  my  gunners  are 
killed.  The  fire  of  the  sons  of  Sheitan  is  too  strong  for 
us.  Your  excellency  will  see  the  ground  is  covered  with 
our  dead.  Bring  fire, ' '  he  ordered,  and  at  the  word  one 
of  the  soldiers  lighted  a  torch  made  of  straw,  soaked  in 
oil,  which  threw  a  lurid  flame  over  the  ground.  "See, 
excellency,  how  we  have  suffered. ' ' 

"Are  they  all  dead?"  asked  the  officer,  stepping 
nearer. 

The  boys  held  their  breath,  when  there  was  a  sharp 
cracking  of  musketry,  the  man  with  the  torch  fell  pros- 


222  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

irate,  and  several  cries  arose  from  the  column.  The 
watchers  on  the  roof  of  Gubbins'  house  had  been  quick 
to  discern  their  enemy. 

"Move  on,  march!"  the  officer  exclaimed  hastily; 
"double.  Yes,  I  see,  it  is  hot  here;  but  when  we  have 
attacked,  and  their  attention  is  distracted,  you  may  do 
something. ' ' 

So  saying  he  went  off  at  a  run  with  his  regiment. 

The  boys  lost  no  time  in  creeping  out  again,  and  mak- 
ing the  best  of  their  way  back;  once  fairly  over  the 
crest,  they  rose  to  their  feet  and  ran  down  toward  the 
intrenchment.  As  they  neared  this  Ned  whistled  twice. 
The  whistle  was  answered,  and  in  a  minute  hands  were 
stretched  down  to  help  them  to  scramble  over  the  earth- 
work. 

"All  right,"  Ned  said  to  Mr.  Johnson;  "the  guns  are 
useless,  and  weakly  guarded.  There  are  lots  of  infantry 
on  both  sides,  but  some  of  them  will  be  drawn  off,  for 
they  are  going  to  make  an  attack  from  Johannes'  house. 
"Where  is  Mr.  Gubbins?" 

"He  has  just  made  his  rounds,"  Mr.  Johnson  said;  "I 
will  take  you  to  him." 

Mr.  Gubbins  was  astonished  when  he  heard  from  the 
boys  that  they  had  been  out  and  rendered  the  guns  tem- 
porarily useless.  "You  were  wrong  to  act  without 
orders,  "he  said,  "but  I  can't  scold  you  for  such  a  gallant 
action.  We  must  act  on  it  at  once.  I  would  send  for  a 
reinforcement,  but  we  must  not  lose  a  moment.  If  the 
attack  from  Johannes'  house  begins  before  our  attack 
the  artillerymen  will  prepare  for  action,  and  may  dis- 
cover that  the  breeches  of  their  guns  are  wet.  Call  up 
every  man  at  once,  Mr.  Johnson,  and  let  them  fall  in  on 
the  battery;  and  do  you,"  he  turned  to  another,  "run 
down  to  the  Sikh  Square  and  Martiniere  garrison  and  warn 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  %%% 

them  that  a  great  attack  is  just  going  to  be  made.  Tell 
them  that  we  are  making  a  sortie,  and  ask  them  to  bring 
every  rifle  to  bear  on  the  houses  to  the  left  of  the  guns, 
so  as  to  keep  down  the  infantry  fire  there." 

In  two  minutes  every  man  of  the  garrison  was  assem- 
bled in  the  battery,  even  those  from  the  roof  being  called 
down. 

"Bring  a  dark  lantern,"  Mr.  Gubbins  said;  "it  may 
be  useful.  Now,  lads,  we  are  going  to  spike  the  guns; 
they  have  been  rendered  useless,  so  we  have  only  got  to 
make  a  dash  for  them.  The  moment  they  are  in  our  pos- 
session, you,  Mr.  Johnson,  with  ten  men,  will  clear  the 
house  immediately  behind  them  and  look  for  the  magazine. 
Mr.  Leathes,  you,  with  fifteen  men,  will  move  to  the 
right  a  little ;  and  you,  Mr.  Percival,  with  your  com- 
mand, to  the  left.  Do  not  go  far,  but  each  carry  a  house 
or  two,  set  them  on  fire,  and  fall  back  here  when  you  hear 
the  bugle.  I  have  got  the  hammer  and  spiking  nails. 
Now,  as  quietly  as  you  can  till  you  hear  that  we  are  dis- 
covered, and  then  go  with  a  rush  at  the  guns. ' ' 

In  fact,  they  had  gone  very  few  paces  before  there  was 
a  shout  in  the  enemy's  line.  The  noise  of  so  many  men 
stumbling  over  the  debris  of  leveled  houses  was  heard  in 
an  instant  in  the  night  air. 

"Forward!"  Mr.  Gubbins  shouted;  "don't  fire,  [giva 
them  the  bayonet. ' ' 

At  a  charge  the  little  party  rushed  along.  They  were 
in  the  lane  now,  and  were  able  to  run  fast.  The  shout 
had  been  followed  by  a  shot,  then  by  a  dozen  others,  and 
then  a  rapid  fire  broke  out  from  the  houses  and  walls  in 
front. 

They  were  still  invisible,  however,  and  the  balls  whis- 
tled overhead.  They  heard  the  voice  of  the  officer  at  tha 
guns  shout  to  his  men : 


224  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

" Steady;  don't  fire  till  they  are  on  the  crest,  theE 
Mow  them  into  dust." 

They  topped  the  crest  and  rushed  at  the  guns. 

"Fire!"  shouted  the  officer,  but  a  cry  of  dismay  alone 
answered  his  words,  and  in  a  moment  the  British  rushed 
on  to  the  guns,  and  bayoneted  the  astonished  and  dis- 
mayed enemy. 

Then  they  separated,  each  to  the  work  assigned  to 
them,  while  Mr.  Gubbins,  with  a  man  with  the  lantern, 
went  from  gun  to  gun  and  drove  a  nail  down  the  touch- 
hole  of  each.  Then  he  followed  into  the  house  behind. 
Here  a  short  but  furious  fight  had  taken  place.  The 
Sepoys  lodged  there  fought  desperately  but  unavailingly. 
A  few  leaped  from  the  windows,  but  the  rest  were 
bayoneted.  The  fight  was  stern  and  silent;  no  words 
were  spoken,  for  the  Sepoys  knew  that  it  was  useless  to 
ask  for  quarter ;  the  clashing  of  sabers  against  muskets, 
an  occasional  sharp  cry,  and  the  sound  of  the  falling  of 
heavy  bodies  alone  told  of  the  desperate  struggle. 

It  ended  just  as  Mr.  Gubbins  enterted. 

"Look  about,"  he  said;  "they  must  have  a  magazine 
somewhere  here ;  perhaps  a  large  one. ' ' 

There  was  a  rapid  search. 

"Here  it  is,"  Ned  said,  as  he  looked  into  a  large  out- 
house behind  the  building.  "There  are  some  twenty 
barrels  of  powder  and  a  large  quantity  of  shot  and  shell." 

"Break  open  a  barrel,  quick!"  Mr.  Gubbins  said. 
"Mr.  Johnson,  I  will  do  this  with  the  "VVarreners.  Do 
you  line  that  low  wall  and  keep  back  the  pandies  a  min- 
ute or  two;  they  will  be  on  us  like  a  swarm  of  bees. 
Run  into  the  house,"  he  said  to  Dick,  as  Mr.  Johnson 
led  his  men  forward  to  the  wall ;  "you  will  see  a  bucket 
of  water  in  the  first  room.  Bring  it  here  quick.  Now 
then,"  he  said,  "empty  this  barrel  among  the  others; 


JW  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  235 

that's  right,  smash  in  the  heads  of  three  or  four  others 
with  this  hammer.  That's  right,"  as  Dick  returned  with 
the  water.     "Now  fill  your  cap  with  powder." 

Dick  did  so,  and  Mr.  Gubbins  poured  some  water  into 
it,  stirred  them  together  till  the  powder  was  damped 
through,  and  with  this  made  a  train  some  five  feet  long 
to  the  dry  powder. 

The  party  at  the  wall  were  now  hotly  engaged  with  g, 
mass  of  advancing  enemy. 

"Fall  back,  Mr.  Johnson,  quickly.  Sound  the  retreat, 
bugler.     Go  along,  lads;  I'll  light  the  train." 

He  waited  until  the  last  man  had  passed,  applied  a 
lighted  match  to  the  train,  which  began  to  fizz  and  sput- 
ter, and  then  ran  out  and  followed  the  rest,  shutting  the 
door  of  the  magazine  as  he  went  out,  in  order  that  the 
burning  fuse  should  not  be  seen. 

By  this  time  the  houses  on  either  side  were  alight,  and 
the  whole  party  were  returning  at  a  double  toward  the 
intrenchments. 

As  they  neared  the  lines  the  enemy  swarmed  out  from 
their  cover,  and  the  head  of  the  reinforcements  were 
pouring  out  through  the  house  into  the  battery,  when  the 
earth  shook,  a  mighty  flash  of  fire  lit  the  sky ;  there  was 
a  roar  like  thunder,  and  most  of  the  retreating  party 
were  swept  from  their  feet  by  the  shock,  while  a  shower 
of  stones  and  timber  fell  in  a  wide  circle.  They  were 
soon  up  again  and  scrambled  over  the  earthworks. 

For  a  minute  the  explosion  was  succeeded  by  a  death- 
like stillness,  broken  only  by  the  sound  of  the  falling 
fragments;  then  from  the  whole  circle  of  the  British 
lines  a  great  cheer  of  triumph  rose  up,  while  a  yell  of 
fury  answered  them  from  the  enemy's  intrenchments. 

"Any  loss?"  was  Mr.  Gubbins'  first  question. 

"No  one  killed,"  was  the  report  of  the  officers  of  tha 
three  sections. 


£26  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Any  -wounded?" 

Four  of  the  men  stepped  forward ;  two  were  slightly 
wounded  only;  two  were  seriously  hit,  but  a  glance 
showed  that  the  wounds  were  not  of  a  nature  likely  to  be 
fatal. 

"Hurrah!  my  lads,"  Mr.  dubbins  said  cheerily;  "six 
guns  spiked,  our  garrison  freed  from  that  troublesome 
battery,  a  lesson  given  to  the  enemy,  and  I  expect  a  few 
hundred  of  them  blown  up,  and  all  at  the  cost  of  four 
wounded." 

"Well  done,  indeed,"  a  voice  said;  and  General  Inglis, 
with  two  or  three  of  his  officers,  stepped  forward.  "Gal- 
lantly done;  but  how  was  it  that  the  guns  were  silent? 
you  could  hardly  have  caught  them  asleep. ' ' 

"No,  sir,"  Mr.  Gubbins  said;  "the  gentlemen  who 
brought  in  the  message  from  General  Havelock  two  days 
ago  went  out  on  their  own  account  and  silenced  the  guns 
by  wetting  the  priming." 

A  suppressed  cheer  broke  from  the  whole  party ;  for 
until  now  only  Mr.  Johnson  and  those  on  guard  with 
him  knew  what  had  happened,  and  the  silence  of  the 
guns  had  been  a  mystery  to  all. 

"Step  forward,  young  gentlemen,  will  you?"  General 
Inglis  said.  "You  have  done  a  most  gallant  action,"  he 
went  on,  shaking  them  by  the  hand,  "a  most  gallant 
action ;  and  the  whole  garrison  are  greatly  indebted  to 
you.  I  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  reporting  your  gal- 
lant conduct  to  the  commander-in-chief,  when  the  time 
comes  for  doing  so.  I  will  not  mar  the  pleasure  which 
all  feel  at  your  deed  by  blaming  you  for  acting  on  your 
own  inspiration,  but  I  must  do  so  to-morrow.  Good 
fortune  has  attended  your  enterprise,  but  the  lives  of 
brave  men  are  too  valuable  to  allow  them  to  undertake 
such  risks  as  this  on  their  own  account.     And  now  that 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  g£? 

I  have  said  what  I  was  obliged  to  say,  I  ask  you  all  to 
give  three  cheers  for  our  gallant  3roung  friends. ' ' 

Three  hearty  cheers  were  given,  and  then  the  general 
hurried  off  to  superintend  the  preparations  for  the  de- 
fense of  the  quarter  threatened  by  the  attack  from 
Johannes'  house,  if  indeed  that  attack  should  not  be  post- 
poned, owing  to  the  discouragement  which  the  blow  just 
inflicted  would  naturally  spread.  Surrounded  by  their 
comrades,  the  "Warreners  re-entered  the  house. 

"What  was  that  terrible  explosion?"  "What  has  hap- 
pened?" was  asked  by  a  score  of  female  voices  as  they 
entered. 

"Good  news,"  Mr.  Gubbins  said;  "you  can  sleep  in 
peace.  The  guns  of  the  battery  which  has  annoyed  us 
are  all  spiked,  and  their  magazine  blown  up,  and  all  this 
without  the  loss  of  a  man,  thanks  to  the  Warreners,  who 
went  out  alone  and  disabled  all  the  guns  by  wetting  the 
primings.     All  your  thanks  are  due  to  them." 

There  was  a  general  cry  of  grateful  joy ;  for  since  the 
battery  had  begun  to  play  upon  the  house  no  one  had 
felt  that  his  own  life  or  the  lives  of  those  dearest  to  him 
were  safe  for  a  moment.  All  were  dressed,  for  in  these 
times  of  peril  no  one  went  regularly  to  bed ;  and  they 
now  crowded  round  the  boys,  shaking  them  by  the  hand, 
patting  them  on  the  shoulders,  many  crying  for  very  joy 
and  relief. 

Mrs.  Hargreaves  was  standing  at  the  door  and  the  boys 
went  up  to  her.  She  drew  back  the  curtain  for  them  to 
enter ;  for,  sure  that  the  boys  intended  to  carry  out  som9 
desperate  enterprise,  none  of  her  family  had  even  lain 
down.    Mr.  Hargreaves  and  Mr.  Eighton  followed  them  in. 

"We  were  all  praying  for  you,"  she  said  simply,  "as 
if  you  had  been  my  own  sons ;  for  you  were  doing  as 
much  for  me  and  mine  as  my  own  could  have  done:"  and 
ehe  kissed  both  their  foreheads. 


22S  I&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"1  think,  Mrs.  Hargreaves, "  said  Dick,  with  the  cfe* 
mure  impudence  of  a  midshipman,  "that  that  ought  to 
go  round. ' ' 

"I  think  you  have  fairly  earned  it,  you  impudent  boy," 
Mrs.  Hargreaves  said,  smiling. 

Mrs.  Eighton  kissed  Dick  tearfully,  for  she  was  think- 
ing that,  had  the  battery  been  silenced  only  one  day 
earlier,  her  little  one  would  hare  been  saved.  Edith 
glanced  at  her  mother,  and  allowed  Dick  to  kiss  her; 
while  Nelly  threw  her  arms  round  his  neck  and  kissed 
him  heartily,  telling  him  he  was  a  darling  boy. 

Ned,  who  possessed  none  of  the  impudence  of  hr* 
brother,  and  who  was  moreover  at  the  age  when  many 
boys  become  bashful  with  women,  contented  himseli; 
with  shaking  hands  with  Mrs.  Eighton  and  Edith,  and 
would  have  done  the  same  with  Nelly,  but  that  young 
lady  put  up  her  cheek  with  a  laugh. 

e!I choose  to  be  kissed,  sir,"  she  said;  "it  is  not  nmuh 
kissing  that  we  get  here,  goodness  knows. ' ' 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  %%$ 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  SORTIE  AND  ITS    CONSEQUENCES. 

The  night  passed  off  without  the  expected  attack  from 
Johannes'  house,  the  rebels  being  too  much  disconcerted 
by  the  destruction  of  the  battery,  and  the  loss  of  so  many 
men  to  attempt  any  offensive  operations.  The  destruc- 
tion of  the  house  behind  the  guns,  and  of  all  those  in  its 
vicinity,  deterred  them  from  re-establishing  a  battery  in 
the  same  place,  as  there  would  be  no  shelter  for  the 
infantry  supporting  the  guns;  and  after  the  result  of  the 
sortie  it  was  evident  to  them  that  a  large  force  must  be 
kept  in  readiness  to  repel  the  attacks  of  the  British. 

For  a  few  days  life  was  more  tolerable  in  Gubbins'  gar- 
rison ;  for  although  shot  and  shell  ^frequently  struck  the 
house,  and  batteries  multiplied  in  the  circle  around, 
none  kept  up  so  deadly  and  accurate  a  fire  as  that  which 
they  had  destroyed. 

The  Warreners  took  their  fair  share  in  all  the  heavy 
fatigue  work,  and  in  the  picket  duty  in  the  battery  or  on 
the  roof;  but  they  enjoyed  their  intervals  of  repose, 
which  were  now  always  spent  with  Mr.  Hargreaves' 
family. 

Mr.  Hargreaves  was  collector  of  a  district  near  Luck- 
now,  and  was  high  in  the  civil  service.  He  was  a  fit 
husband  for  his  kindly  wife ;  and  as  Mr.  Eighton  was  of 
a  cheerful  and  hopeful  disposition,  the  boys  found  them- 
selves members  of  a  charming  family  circle.     Often  and 


230  IW  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

often  they  wished  that  their  father,  sister,  and  cousin 
could  but  join  them;  or  rather,  as  Ned  said,  they  could 
join  the  party  without,  for  no  one  could  wish  that  any 
they  loved  should  be  at  Lucknow  at  that  time. 

One  evening  late  they  were  sitting  together  in  a  group 
outside  the  house,  the  enemy's  fire  being  slack,  when  Mr. 
Johnson  came  up  from  the  battery  to  Mr.  Gubbins,  who 
formed  one  of  the  party. 

"I  am  afraid,  sir,  they  are  mining  again;  lying  on  the 
ground,  we  think  we  can  hear  the  sound  of  blows. ' ' 

"That  is  bad,"  Mr.  Gubbins  said;  "I  heard  this  after- 
noon that  they  believe  that  two  mines  are  being  driven 
from  Johannes'  house  in  the  direction  of  the  Martini  ere 
and  the  brigade  mess-house ;  now  we  are  at  have  our 
turn,  eh?  Well,  we  blew  in  the  last  they  tried,  and  aiusfc 
do  it  again ;  but  it  is  so  much  more  hard  work.  Now, 
gentlemen,  let  us  see  who  has  the  best  ears.  Excuse  us, 
Mrs.  Hargreaves;  we  shall  not  be  long  away." 

On  entering  the  battery  they  found  the  men  on  guard 
all  lying  down  listening,  and  were  soon  at  full  length 
with  their  ears  to  the  ground.  All  could  hear  the  sound ; 
it  was  very  faint,  as  faint  as  the  muffled  tick  of  a  watch, 
sometimes  beating  at  regular  intervals  of  a  second  or  so, 
sometimes  ceasing  for  a  minute  or  two. 

"There  is  no  doubt  they  are  mining,"  Mr.  Gubbin3 
said ;  "the  question  is,  from  which  way  are  they  coming  ?" 

None  could  give  an  opinion.  The  sound  was  so  faint, 
and  seemed  to  come  so  directly  from  below,  that  the  ear 
could  not  discriminate  in  the  slightest. 

"At  any  rate,"  Mr.  Gubbins  said,  "we  must  begin  at 
once  to  sink  a  shaft.  If  when  we  get  down  a  bit  we  can- 
not judge  as  to  the  direction,  we  must  drive  two  or  three 
listening  galleries  in  different  directions.  But  before 
we  begin  we    must   let    Major   Anderson  of   the   Royal 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  231 

Engineers  know,  and  take  his  advice ;  he  is  in  command, 
of  all  mining  operations. ' ' 

In  ten  minntes  Major  Anderson  was  on  the  ground. 

"The  fellows  are  taking  to  mining  in  earnest,"  he 
said;  "this  is  the  third  we  have  discovered  to-day,  and 
how  many  more  there  may  be,  goodness  only  knows.  I 
think  you  had  better  begin  here,"  he  said  to  Mr.  Gub- 
bins.  "You  have  got  tools,  I  think.  Say  about  six  feet 
square,  then  two  men  can  work  at  once.  I  will  be  here 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  and  then  we  will  look 
round  and  see  which  is  the  likeliest  spot  for  the  fellows 
to  be  working  from.  Will  you  ask  your  sentries  on  the 
roof  to  listen  closely  to-night  in  order  to  detect,  if  possi- 
ble, a  stir  of  men  coming  or  going  from  any  given  point. ' ' 

Picks  and  shovels  were  brought  out,  the  garrison  told 
off  into  working  parties  of  four  each,  to  relieve  each 
other  every  hour,  and  the  work  began.  Well-sinking  is 
hard  work,  in  any  climate;  but  with  a  thermometer 
marking  a  hundred  and  five  at  night,  it  is  terrible ;  and 
each  set  of  workers,  as  they  came  up  bathed  in  perspira- 
tion, threw  themselves  on  the  ground  utterly  exhausted. 
Mr.  Hargreaves  and  a  few  of  the  elders  of  the  garrison 
were  excused  this  work,  and  took  extra  duty  on  tli8 
terrace  and  battery. 

The  next  day  it  was  decided  that  the  enemy  were  prob- 
ably working  from  a  ruined  house  near  their  former  bat- 
tery, and  a  gallery  was  begun  from  the  bottom  of  the 
shaft.  This  was  pushed  on  night  and  day  for  three  days, 
the  workers  being  now  certain,  from  the  rapidly-increas- 
ing sound  of  the  workers,  that  this  was  the  line  by  which 
the  enemy  was  approaching.  The  gallery  was  driven 
nearly  twenty  yards,  and  then  three  barrels  of  powder 
were  stored  there,  and  the  besieged  awaited  the  approach 
of  the  rebels'  gallery.  , 


232  I]V  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

The  Sepoys  had  now  erected  batteries  whose  cross  fira 
swept  the  ground  outside  the  intrenchments,  so  that  a 
sortie  could  no  longer  be  carried  out  with  any  hope  of 
success.  Had  it  been  possible  to  have  attempted  it,  a 
party  would  have  gone  out,  and  driving  off  any  guard 
that  might  have  been  placed,  entered  the  enemy's  gallery 
and  caught  them  at  their  work.  A  sentry  was  placed 
continually  in  the  gallery,  and  each  hour  the  sound  of 
the  pick  and  crowbar  became  louder. 

On  the  fifth  day  the  engineers  judged  that  there  could 
not  be  more  than  a  yard  of  earth  between  them.  The 
train  was  laid  now,  and  a  cautious  watch  kept,  until,  just 
at  the  moment  when  it  was  thought  that  an  opening  would 
be  made,  the  train  was  fired.  The  earth  heaved,  and  a 
great  opening  was  made,  while  a  shower  of  stones  flew 
high  in  the  air.  The  enemy's  gallery  was  blown  in,  and 
the  men  working  destroyed,  and  a  loud  cheer  broke  from 
the  garrison  at  the  defeat  of  another  attempt  upon  them. 

The  month  of  August  began  badly  in  Lucknow.  Major 
Banks,  the  civil  commissioner  named  by  Sir  Henry 
Lawrence  to  succeed  him,  was  shot  dead  while  reconnoiter- 
ing  from  the  top  of  an  outhouse.  The  Keverend  Mr. 
Polehampton,  who  had  been  wounded  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  siege,  was  killed,  as  were  Lieutentants 
Lewin,  Shepherd,  and  Archer. 

On  the  8th  large  bodies  of  Sepoys  were  observed  to 
enter  the  city,  and  on  the  10th  a  furious  attack  was  made 
all  round  the  British  line.  Every  man  capable  of  bear- 
ing arms  stood  at  his  post,  and  even  the  sick  and  wounded 
crawled  out  of  hospital  and  took  posts  on  housetops 
wherever  they  eould  fire  on  the  foe.  The  din  was  pro- 
digious— the  yells  of  the  enemy,  their  tremendous  lira 
of  musketry,  the  incessant  roar  of  their  cannon,  but  they 
lacked  heart  for  close  fighting. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  233 

Frequently  large  bodies  of  men  showed  from  behind 
their  shelter,  and  carrying  ladders,  advanced  as  if  with 
the  determination  of  making  an  assault.  Each  time, 
however,  the  withering  fire  opened  upon  them  from  the 
line  of  earthworks,  from  the  roof  of  every  house,  and  the 
storm  of  grape  from  the  batteries  caused  them  to  waver 
and  fail  back.  Each  fresh  effort  was  led  by  brave  men, 
fanatics,  who  advanced  alone  far  in  front  of  the  rest, 
shrieking,  "Death  to  the  infidel!" 

But  they  died,  and  their  spirit  failed  to  animate  their 
followers.  Only  once  or  twice  did  the  assailing  parties 
get  near  the  line  of  intrenchments,  and  then  but  to  fail 
back  rapidly  after  heavy  loss. 

Day  after  day  the  position  of  the  besieged  grew  more 
unendurable.  The  buildings  were  crumbling  away  un- 
der the  heavy  and  continued  fire ;  and  as  one  after 
another  became  absolutely  untenable,  the  ladies  and 
children  were  more  closely  crowded  in  those  which  still 
offered  some  sort  of  shelter.  Even  death,  fearful  as  were 
its  ravages,  did  not  suffice  to  counteract  the  closeness  of 
the  packing.  Crowded  in  dark  rooms,  living  on  the  most 
meager  food — for  all  the  comforts,  such  as  tea,  sugar, 
wine,  spirits,  etc.,  were  exhausted,  and  even  the  bread 
was  made  of  flour  ground,  each  for  himself,  between 
rough  stones — without  proper  medicines,  attendance,  or 
even  bedding ;  tormented  by  a  plague  of  flies,  sickened 
hy  disgusting  smells,  condemned  to  inaction  and  confine- 
ment, the  women  and  children  died  off  rapidly,  and  the 
men,  although  better  off  with  regard  to  light  and  air, 
feickened  fast.  Half  the  officers  were  laid  up  with  disease, 
and  all  were  lowered  in  health  and  strength. 

On  the  18th,  as  the  "Warreners  had  just  returned  from 
a  heavy  night's  work,  strengthening  the  defenses  and 
trarying  horses  and  cattle,  a  great  explosion  was  heard, 


234  IV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

and  one  of  tliose  posted  on  the  roof  ran  down  shoot* 
ing: 

"To  arms!  they  hare  fired  a  mine  under  the  Sika 
Square!" 

Every  man  caught  up  his  rifle  and  rushed  to  the  spot. 
The  mine  had  carried  away  a  portion  of  the  exterior 
defense,  and  the  enemy,  with  yells  of  triumph,  rushed  for- 
ward toward  the  opening.  Then  ensued  a  furious  melee; 
each  man  fought  for  himself,  hand  to  hand  in  the  breach ; 
Mussulman  and  Englishmen  struggled  in  deadly  combat; 
the  crack  of  the  revolver,  the  thud  of  the  clubbed  guns, 
the  clash  of  sword  against  steel,  the  British  cheer  and  tho 
native  yell,  were  mingled  in  wild  confusion.  Whila 
some  drove  the  enemy  back,  others  brought  boxes  and 
beams,  fascines  and  sandbags,  to  repair  the  breach. 
The  enemy  were  forced  back,  and  the  British  poured 
out  with  shouts  of  triumph. 

Our  men's  blood  was  up,  and  they  followed  their  ad- 
vantage. Part  of  the  engineers,  ever  on  the  alert,  joined 
the  throng  with  some  barrels  of  powder,  and  the  enemy 
were  pushed  back  sufficiently  far  to  enable  some  of  the 
houses,  from  which  we  had  been  greatly  annoyed  by  the 
enemy's  sharpshooters,  to  be  blown  up. 

This  success  cheered  the  besieged,  and  on  the  20th, 
when  it  was  discovered  that  the  enemy  were  driving  two 
new  mines,  a  fresh  sortie  was  determined  upon. 

The  garrison  of  Gubbins'  house  had  now  less  cover 
than  before,  for  the  building  had  been  reduced  almost  to 
a  shell  by  the  enemy's  fire,  and  all  the  women  and 
children  had  the  day  before  been  removed  to  other  quar- 
ters. The  Residency  itself  was  a  tottering  mass  of  ruins, 
and  this  also  had  been  emptied  of  its  helpless  ones,  who 
were  crowded  in  a  great  underground  room  in  the  Begum 
Khotee.     It  is  difficult  to  form  an  idea  of  the  storm  of 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  235 

shot  and  shell  which  swept  the  space  inclosed  within  tho 
lines  of  defense,  but  some  notion  may  be  obtained  from 
the  fact  that  an  officer  had  the  curiosity  to  count  the 
number  of  cannon  balls  of  various  sizes  that  fell  on  the 
roof  of  the  brigade  mess-house  in  one  day,  and  found  that 
they  amounted  to  the  almost  incredible  number  of  two 
hundred  and  eighty.  Living  such  a  life  as  this,  the 
Warreners  were  rejoiced  when  they  received  orders,  with 
ten  of  the  other  defenders  of  the  ruins  of  Gubbins' 
house,  to  join  in  the  sortie  on  the  20th  of  August. 
About  a  hundred  of  the  garrison  formed  up  in  the  Sikh 
Square,  and  at  the  word  being  given  dashed  over  the 
stockade  and  intrenchment,  and  made  a  charge  for 
Johannes'  house.  This  had  throughout  the  siege  been 
the  post  from  which  the  enemy  had  most  annoyed  them, 
the  King  of  Oude's  negro  in  particular  having  killed  a 
great  many  of  our  officers  and  men.  It  was  from  this 
point  that  the  mines  were  being  driven,  and  it  was 
determined  at  all  hazards  to  destroy  it. 

The  rush  of  the  British  took  the  enemy  by  surprise. 
Scarce  a  shot  was  fired  until  they  had  traversed  half  the 
distance,  and  then  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  opened  from 
all  the  houses  held  by  the  enemy.  Still  the  English 
pushed  on  at  full  speed,  without  pausing  to  return  a  shot. 
Y/ith  a  cheer  they  burst  into  the  inclosure  in  which  the 
house  stood,  and  while  half  the  party  entered  it  and  en- 
gaged in  a  furious  combat  with  those  within,  the  others, 
in  accordance  with  orders,  pressed  forward  into  tha 
houses  beyond,  so  as  to  keep  the  enemy  from  advancing 
to  the  assistance  of  their  friends,  thus  caught  in  a  trap. 
The  Warreners  belonged  to  the  party  who  advanced,  and 
were  soon  engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with  tha 
enemy.  Scattering  through  the  houses,  they  drove  the 
Sepoys  before  them.     The  Warreners  were  fighting  side 


£30  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

by  side  with  Mr.  Johnson,  and  with  him,  after  driving 
the  enemy  through  the  next  house,  they  entered  an  out- 
house beyond  it. 

Mr.  Johnson  entered  first,  followed  by  Ned,  Dick  being 
last  of  the  party.  Dick  heard  a  sudden  shout  and  a 
heavy  blow,  and  rushed  in.  Mr.  Johnson  lay  on  the 
ground,  his  skull  beaten  in  with  a  blow  from  the  iron- 
bound  staff  of  a  dervish,  a  wild  figure  with  long  hair  and 
beard  reaching  down  to  his  waist.  Dick  was  in  time  to 
Bee  the  terrible  staff  descend  again  upon  Ned's  head. 
Ned  guarded  it  with  his  rifle,  but  the  guard  was  beaten 
down  and  Ned  stretched  senseless  on  the  ground.  Be- 
fore the  fakir  had  time  to  raise  his  staff  again  Dick  drove 
his  bayonet  through  his  chest,  and  the  fakir  fell  pros- 
trate, his  body  rolling  down  some  steps  into  a  cellar 
which  served  as  a  wood-store. 

As  he  fell  Dick  heard  a  fierce  growl,  and  a  bear  of  a 
very  large  size,  which  was  standing  by  the  fakir,  rose  on 
his  hind  legs.  Fortunately  Dick's  rifle  was  still  loaded, 
and  pointing  it  into  the  fierce  beast's  mouth,  he  fired, 
and  the  bear  rollod  down  the  wooden  steps  after  his 
master.  Throwing  aside  his  rifle,  Dick  turned  to  raise 
his  brother.     Ned  lay  as  if  dead. 

Dick  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  ran  out  to  call  for  succor. 
He  went  into  the  house,  but  it  was  empt}'.  He  rushed 
to  the  door,  and  saw  the  rest  of  the  party  in  full  retreat. 
He  shouted,  -but  his  voice  was  lost  in  the  crackle  of 
musketry  fire.  He  ran  back  to  Ned  and  again  tried  to 
lift  him,  and  had  got  him  on  his  shoulders  when  there 
was  a  tremendous  explosion.  Johannes'  house  had  been 
blown  up. 

Following  close  upon  the  sound  came  the  yells  of  the 
enemy,  who  were  flocking  up  to  pursue  the  English  back 
to  their  trenches.     Escape  was  now  hopeless,     Dick  low^ 


S       M 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ggf 

crad  Ned  to  the  ground,  hastily  dragged  the  body  of  Mr, 
Johnson  outside  the  door,  and  then  lifting  Ned,  bore  him 
down  the  steps  into  the  cellar  into  which  the  fakir  and 
the  bear  had  fallen.  He  carried  him  well  into  the  cellar, 
took  away  the  wooden  steps,  and  then,  with  great 
difficulty,  also  dragged  the  bodies  of  the  fakir  and  the 
bear  further  in,  so  that  anyone  looking  down  into  the 
hole  from  the  outside  would  observe  nothing  unusual. 

Then  as  he  lay  down,  faint  from  his  exertions,  he  could 
hear  above  the  tread  of  a  great  number  of  men,  followed 
by  a  tremendous  musketry  fire  from  the  house.  Once  or 
twice  he  thought  he  heard  someone  come  to  the  door  of 
the  outhouse ;  but  if  so,  no  one  entered. 

Beyond  rubbing  Ned's  hands,  and  putting  cold  stones 
to  his  forehead,  Dick  could  do  nothing;  but  Ned 
breathed,  and  Dick  felt  strong  hopes  that  he  was  only 
stunned.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he  showed  signs  of 
reviving,  and  in  an  hour  was  able  to  hear  from  Dick  an 
account  of  what  had  happened,  and  where  they  were. 

"We  are  in  a  horrible  fix  this  time,  Dick,  and  no  mis- 
take ;  my  head  aches  so  I  can  hardly  think ;  let  us  be 
quiet  for  a  bit,  and  we  will  both  try  to  think  what  is  best 
to  be  done.  There  is  no  hurry  to  decide.  No  one  is 
likely  to  come  down  into  this  place,  but  we  may  as  well 
creep  well  behind  this  pile  of  wood  and  straw,  and  then 
we  shall  be  safe. ' ' 

Dick  assented,  and  for  an  hour  they  lay  quiet,  Ned's 
regular  breathing  soon  telling  his  brother  that  he  had 
cropped  off  to  sleep.  Then  Dick  very  quietly  crept  out 
again  from  their  hiding-place. 

"It  is  a  grand  idea, "he said  to  himself;  "magnificent, 
It's  nasty,  horribly  nasty ;  but  after  three  weeks  of  what 
we  have  gone  through  in  the  Residency  one  can  see  and 
do  things  which  it  would  have  made  one  almost  sick  to 


£33  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

think  of  a  month  back ;  and  as  our  lives  depend  upon  ii, 
we  must  not  stand  upon  niceties.  I  wish,  though,  I  had 
"been  brought  up  a  red  Indian;  it  would  have  come  natural 
then,  I  suppose." 

So  saying,  he  took  out  his  pocket-knife,  opened  it,  and 
went  to  the  body  of  the  dead  fakir.  He  took  the  long 
matted  hair  into  his  hand  with  an  exclamation  of  disgust, 
but  saw  at  once  that  his  idea  was  a  feasible  one.  The 
hair  was  matted  together  in  an  inextricable  mass,  and 
could  be  trusted  to  hang  together. 

He  accordingly  set  to  work  to  cut  it  off  close  to  the 
laead ;  but  although  his  knife  was  a  sharp  one,  it  was  a 
long  and  unpleasant  task,  and  nothing  but  the  necessity 
of  the  case  could  have  nerved  him  to  get  through  with  it. 

At  last  it  was  finished,  and  he  looked  at  his  work  with 
complacency. 

"That's  a  magnificent  wig,"  he  said.  "I  defy  the  best 
Ibarber  in  the  world  to  make  such  a  natural  one.  Now 
for  the  bear." 

This  was  a  long  task ;  but  at  last  the  bear  was  skinned, 
end  Dick  set-to  to  clean,  as  well  as  he  could,  the  inside 
of  the  hide.  Then  he  dragged  into  a  corner  and  covered 
up  the  carcass  of  the  bear  and  the  body  of  the  fakir, 
having  first  stripped  the  clothes  off  the  latter,  scattered 
a  little  straw  over  the  bear's  skin,  and  then,  his  task 
being  finished,  he  crept  behind  the  logs  again,  lay  down, 
and  went  off  to  sleep  by  the  side  of  Ned.  It  was  getting 
dark  when  he  awoke.  Ned  was  awake,  and  was  sitting 
up  by  his  side.  Outside,  the  din  of  battle,  the  ceaseless 
crack  of  the  rifle,  and  the  roar  of  cannon,  was  going  on 
as  usual  without  interruption. 

"How  do  you  feel  now,  Ned?"  Dick  asked. 

"All  right,  Dick.  I  have  got  a  biggish  bump  on  the  sida 
©f  my  head,  and  feel  a  little  muddled  still,  but  that  is 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ggj) 

B.othing.  I  can't  think  of  any  plan  for  escaping  from 
tills  place,  Dick,  nor  of  getting  hold  of  a  disguise;  for 
even  if  we  could  get  out  of  this  place  and  neighborhood, 
we  must  be  detected,  and  in  this  town  it  is  of  no  use  try- 
ing to  beg  for  shelter  or  aid. ' ' 

"It  is  all  arranged, "  Dick  said  cheerfully.  "I  havo 
got  two  of  the  best  disguises  in  the  world,  and  we  have 
only  to  dress  up  in  them  and  walk  out. " 

Ned  looked  at  Dick  as  if  he  thought  that  he  had  gona 
out  of  his  mind. 

"You  don't  believe  me?  Just  you  wait,  then,  two 
minutes,  till  I  have  dressed  up,  and  then  I'll  call  you;3' 
and  without  waiting  for  an  answer  Dick  went  out. 

He  speedily  stripped  to  the  waist,  rubbed  some  mud 
from  the  damp  floor  on  his  arms,  wound  the  fakir's  rags 
round  his  body  with  a  grimace  of  disgust,  put  the  wig  on 
Ms  head — his  hair,  like  that  of  all  the  garrison,  had  been 
cut  as  close  to  the  head  as  scissors  would  take  it — shook 
the  long,  knotted  hair  over  his  face  and  shoulders — be- 
hind it  hung  to  the  waist — took  the  staff  in  his  hand,  and 
called  quietly  to  Ned  to  come  out.  Ned  crept  out  and 
remained  petrified  with  astonishment. 

"The  fakir!"  he  exclaimed  at  last.  "Good  heavens,' 
Dick!  is  that  you?" 

"It's  me,  siire  enough,"  Dick  said,  taking  off  his  wig, 
"Here  is  a  wig  in  which  the  sharpest  eyes  in  the  world 
could  not  detect  you. " 

"But  where — "  began  Ned,  still  lost  in  surprise. 

"My  dear  Ned,  I  have  borrowed  from  the  fakir.  It 
was  not  quite  a  nice  job,"  he  went  on,  in  answer  to  Ned's 
astonished  look,  "but  it's  over  now,  and  we  need  not  say 
any  more  about  it.  The  hair  and  rags  are  disgustingly 
filthy,  there  is  no  doubt  about  that.  Their  late  owner 
never  used  a  comb,    and   was   otherwise  beastly  in  hia 


£40  /iV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

rabits;  still,  old  man,  that  cannot  be  helped,  and  if  yon 
!:*ke,  when  we  once  get  out  of  the  town  we  can  put  them 
in  water  for  twenty -four  hours,  or  make  a  sort  of  oven 
and  bake  them  to  get  rid  of  their  inhabitants.  Our 
lives  are  at  stake,  Ned,  and  we  must  not  mind  trifles. ' ' 

"Eight,  old  boy,"  Ned  said,  making  a  great  effort  to 
overcome  his  first  sensation  of  disgust.  "As  you  say,  it 
is  a  trifle.  You  have  hit  upon  a  superb  idea,  Dick, 
superb;  and  I  think  you  have  saved  our  lives  from  what 
seemed  a  hopeless  scrape.  But  what  is  your  other 
disguise?" 

"This,"  Dick  said,  lifting  the  bear's  skin.  "I  can  get 
into  this,  and  if  we  travel  at  night  so  that  I  can  walk 
upright,  for  I  never  could  travel  far  on  all-fours,  I  should 
pass  well  enough,  as  I  could  lie  curled  up  by  your  sida 
in  the  daytime,  and  no  one  will  ask  a  holy  fakir  any 
troublesome  questions.  I  don't  think  you  could  get  into 
the  skin,  Ned,  or  I  would  certainly  take  the  fakir  for 
choice;  for  it  will  be  awfully  hot  in  this  skin." 

"I  don't  mind  doing  the  fakir  a  bit,"  Ned  said. 
"Fortunately  the  sun  has  done  his  work,  and  the  color 
of  our  skins  can  be  hidden  by  a  good  coat  of  dirt,  which 
will  look  as  natural  as  possible.  Now  let  us  set  about  it 
at  once. ' ' 

It  took  an  hour's  preparation;  for  although  Ned's 
toilet  was  quickly  made,  needing  in  fact  nothing  but  a 
coating  of  mud,  it  took  some  time  to  sew  Dick  up  in  the 
Gkin,  the  opening  being  sewn  up  by  means  of  the  small 
blade  of  the  knife  and  some  string.  It  was  by  this  time 
quite  dark,  and  the  operation  had  been  completed  so  per- 
fectly that,  once  Ned  was  dressed,  they  had  no  fear  what- 
ever of  interruption. 

"Now,  Ned,  before  we  go  I  will  set  fire  to  the  straw. 
2  don't  suppose  anyone  will  go  down  and  make  any  dis-* 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  241 

coveries,  but  they  may  be  looking  for  wood,  so  it's  as 
well  to  prevent  accidents.  We  will  throw  that  big  pieca 
of  matting  over  the  opening  in  the  floor  so  the  light  won't 
show  till  we  get  well  away. ' ' 

He  ran  down  the  ladder,  struck  a  match,  lit  the  straw, 
and  then  ran  quickly  up  again.  The  mat  was  dragged 
across  the  opening,  and  then  the  boys  went  boldly  out 
into  the  yard,  Ned  striding  along,  and  Dick  trotting  on 
all-fours  beside  him.  The  night  was  dark,  and  although 
there  were  many  men  in  the  yard  sitting  about  on  the 
ground  round  fires,  no  one  noticed  the  boys,  who,  turn- 
mg  out  through  a  gateway,  took  the  road  into  the  heart 


S4«  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  XYn. 


OUT    OF    LUCKNOW. 


One  hundred  yards  or  so  after  starting,  the  disguised 
fakir  and  his  bear  entered  a  locality  teeming  with  troops, 
quartered  there  in  order  to  be  close  at  hand  to  the  bat- 
teries, to  assist  to  repel  sorties,  or  to  join  in  attacks. 
Fortunately  the  night  was  very  dark,  and  the  exceed- 
ingly awkward  and  unnatural  walk  of  the  bear  passed 
unseen.  Over  and  over  again  they  were  challenged  and 
shouted  to,  but  the  hoarse  "Hoo-Xiac,"  which  is  the  cry 
of  the  fakirs,  and  the  ring  of  the  iron-bound  staff  with 
its  clanking  rings,  on  the  ground,  were  a  sufficient  pass. 

Ned  guessed,  from  the  fact  of  their  having  been  met 
with  so  close  to  the  fort,  that  the  fakir  and  his  bear 
would  be  well-known  to  the  mutineers ;  and  this  proved 
to  be  the  case. 

Several  of  the  men  addressed  him,  but  he  waved  his 
arm,  shook  his  head  angrily,  and  strode  on ;  and  as  fakirs 
frequently  pretend  to  be  absorbed  in  thought,  and  un- 
willing to  converse,  the  soldiers  fell  back.  Beyond  this 
the  streets  were  deserted.  The  most  populous  native 
quarter  lay  far  away,  and  few  of  the  inhabitants,  save  of 
the  lowest  classes,  cared  to  be  about  the  streets  after 
nightfall. 

The  instant  that  they  were  in  a  quiet  quarter  Dick  rose 
to  his  feet. 

"My  goodness,"  he  whispered  to  Ned,  "that  all-four,3' 
work  is  enough  to  break  one's  back,  Ned." 


12?  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  213 

They  now  struck  sharply  to  the  left,  presently  crossed 
the  wide  street  leading  from  the  Cawnpore  Bridge,  and 
kept  on  through  quiet  lanes  until  they  came  to  the  canal. 
This  would  be  the  guide  they  wanted,  and  they  followed 
it  along,  taking  nearly  the  route  which  General  Havelock 
afterward  followed  in  his  advance,  until  they  came  to  a 
bridge  across  the  canal.  Once  over  this,  they  were,  they 
knew,  fairly  safe.  They  kept  on  at  a  rapid  walk  until 
well  in  the  country,  and  then  sat  down  by  the  roadside 
for  a  consultation  as  to  their  best  course  of  proceeding. 
The  lads  were  both  of  opinion  that  the  dangers  which 
would  lie  in  the  way  of  their  reaching  Cawnpore  would 
be  very  great.  This  road  was  now  occupied  by  great 
numbers  of  troops,  determined  to  bar  the  way  to  Luck- 
now  against  General  Havelock.  They  had  advanced 
without  question,  because  it  was  natural  that  Sepoys 
should  be  making  their  way  from  Cawnpore  to  Lucknow ; 
but  it  would  not  be  at  all  natural  that  a  fakir  should  at 
this  time  be  going  in  the  opposite  direction.  Moreover 
— and  this  weighed  very  strongly  with  them — they  knew 
that  General  Havelock  would  advance  with  a  force  wholly 
inadequate  to  the  task  before  him;  and  they  thought 
that  even  should  he  succeed  in  getting  into  Lucknow,  he 
would  be  wholly  unable  to  get  out  again,  hampered  as 
he  would  be  with  sick,  wounded,  women  and  children.  In 
that  case  he  would  have  to  continue  to  hold  Lucknow 
until  a  fresh  relieving  force  arrived,  and  the  lads  had 
already  had  more  than  enough  of  the  confinement  and 
horrors  of  a  siege  such  as  that  of  Cawnpore. 

Animated  hy  these  considerations,  they  determined  to 
push  to  Delhi,  where  they  hoped  that  they  might  arrive 
in  time  to  see  the  end  of  the  siege,  at  whose  commence- 
ment they  had  been  present, 

ivTo  suspicion  would  be  likely  to  be  excited  by  their 


244:  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

passage  through  that  line  of  country,  -which,  indeed, 
-would  be  found  altogether  denuded  of  the  enemy '3 
troops,  for  all  the  regiments  that  had  mutinied  along  this 
line  had  marched  off,  either  to  Delhi  or  Lucknow,  and 
the  country  was  in  the  hands  of  the  zemindars,  who  would 
neither  suspect  nor  molest  a  wandering  fakir.  It  cer- 
tainly was  unusual  for  a  fakir  to  be  accompanied  by  a 
bear,  but  as  the  fakir  they  had  killed  had  a  bear  with  him 
it  was  clearly  by  no  means  impossible.  Dick  protested 
that  it  was  absolutely  essential  that  they  should  walk  at 
night,  for  that  he  would  be  detected  at  once  in  the  day. 

"I  vote  that  we  walk  all  night,  Ned,  and  make  our 
thirty -five  or  forty  miles,  then  turn  in  and  hide  up  all  day. 
In  the  evening,  when  it  gets  quite  dusk,  we  can  go  into 
the  outskirts  of  a  village.  Then  jrou  will  begin  to  shout, 
and  I  will  lie  down,  as  if  tired,  by  you.  They  will  bring 
you  lots  of  grub,  under  the  idea  that  you  will  give  them 
charms,  and  so  on,  next  day.  When  the  village  is  asleep 
we  will  go  on.  You  can  easily  ask  for  cloth — I  am  sure 
your  rags  are  wretched  enough — and  then  I  can  dress  at 
night,  after  setting  out  from  each  village,  in  native  dress, 
for  it  would  be  awful  to  walk  far  in  this  skin ;  besides, 
my  feet  are  as  uncomfortable  as  possible." 

This  plan  was  agreed  upon,  and  they  struck  across 
country  for  the  main  Delhi  road,  Dick  slipping  out  of 
his  bear's  skin,  and  simply  wearing  it  wrapped  loosely 
round  him. 

The  Warreners  had  been  accustomed  to  such  incessant 
labor  at  Lucknow  that  they  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping 
going  all  night.  As  day  was  breaking  they  retired  into 
a  tope  of  trees  and  threw  themselves  down,  Dick  first 
taking  the  precaution  to  get  into  the  bear's  skin  and  lace 
it  up,  in  case  of  surprise.  It  was  of  course  hot,  but  at 
least  it  kept  off  flies  and  other  insects,  and  as  it  was  quite 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  245 

loose  for  him,  it  was  not  so  hot  as  it  would  have  been 
had  it  fitted  more  tightly.  The  lads  were  both  utterly 
fatigued,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  were  fast  asleep. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  they  awoke,  and 
although  extremely  hungry,  they  were  forced  to  wait 
until  it  became  dusk  before  proceeding  on  their  way. 

At  the  first  village  at  which  they  arrived  they  sat  down 
Dear  the  first  house,  and  Ned  began  to  strike  his  staff  to 
the  ground  and  to  shout  "Hoo-Hac"  with  great  vehe- 
mence. Although  the  population  were  for  the  most  part 
Mussulmans,  there  are  many  Hindoos  everywhere  scat- 
tered about,  and  these  at  once  came  out  and  formed  a 
ling  round  the  holy  man.  Some  bore  torches,  and  Dick 
played  his  part  by  sitting  up  and  rocking  uneasily,  in 
the  manner  of  a  bear,  and  then  lying  down  and  half- 
covering  his  face  with  his  paw,  went  apparently  to  sleep. 

s 'The  servant  of  Siva  is  hungry,"  Ned  said,  "and 
■would  eat.  He  wants  cloth;"  and  he  pointed  to  the  rags 
which  scarce  held  together  over  his  shoulder.  Supplies 
of  parched  grain  and  of  baked  cakes  were  brought  him, 
and  a  woman  carried  up  a  sick  child  and  a  length  of 
cloth.  Ned  passed  his  hand  over  the  child's  face,  and  by 
that  and  the  heat  of  her  hand  judged  that  she  had  fever. 
First,  after  the  manner  of  a  true  fakir,  he  mumbled  some 
sentence  which  no  one  could  understand.  Then  in 
silence  he  breathed  a  sincere  prayer  that  the  child  might 
be  restored  to  health.  After  this  he  bade  the  mother 
give  her  cooling  drinks  made  of  rice-water  and  acid  fruit, 
to  keep  her  cool,  and  to  damp  her  hands  and  face  from 
time  to  time ;  and  then  he  signified  by  a  wave  of  his  hand 
that  he  would  be  alone. 

The  villagers  all  retired,  and  the  lads  made  a  hearty 
meal ;  then  taking  what  remained  of  the  food,  they 
started  on  their  night's  journey,  pausing  in  a  short  tima 


£43  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

for  Dick  to  get  out  of  his  skin,  and  to  wrap  himself  from 
head  to  foot  in  the  dark-blue  cotton  cloth  that  the  woman 
had  given. 

"I  felt  like  an  impostor,  getting  that  cloth  under  false 
l^retenses,  Dick." 

"Oh,  nonsense,"  Dick  said.  "The  woman  gave  it  for 
what  the  fakir  could  do,  and  I  am  sure  your  advice  was 
better  than  the  fakir  would  have  given,  so  she  is  no  loser. 
If  ever  we  come  on  one  of  these  sort  of  trips  again  we 
will  bring  some  quinine  and  some  strong  pills,  and  then 
we  really  may  do  some  good. 

Dick  took  no  pains  about  coloring  his  face  or  hands, 
for  both  were  burned  so  brown  with  exposure  to  the  sun 
that  he  had  no  fear  that  a  casual  glance  at  them  at  night, 
even  in  torchlight,  would  detect  that  he  was  not  a  native. 

"Now,  Ned,  I  promised  to  stop  for  twenty-four  hours, 
if  you  liked,  to  soak  that  head  of  hair  in  a  pond ;  what 
do  you  say?" 

"No,"  Ned  said;  "it  is  terribly  filthy,  but  we  will 
waste  no  time.  To-morrow,  when  we  halt,  we  will  try 
and  make  an  oven  and  bake  it.  I  will  try  to-morrow  to 
get  a  fresh  cloth  for  myself  and  throw  these  horrible  rags 
away.     Even  a  fakir  must  have  a  new  cloth   sometimes." 

They  made  a  very  long  march  that  night,  and  had  the 
next  evening  a  success  equal  to  that  of  the  night  before. 
Another  long  night-tramp  followed,  and  on  getting  up  at 
the  end  of  the  day's  sleep,  Ned  collected  some  dry  sticks 
and  lit  a  fire.  Then  he  made  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and 
filed  it  with  glowing  embers.  When  the  embers  were 
just  extinct,  he  cleared  them  out,  took  off  his  wig,  rolled 
it  up,  and  put  it  into  the  hot  oven  he  had  thus  prepared, 
and  covered  the  top  in  with  a  sod.  Then  carefully  look- 
ing to  see  that  no  natives  were  in  sight,  he  threw  away 
Ma  old  rags,  and  Dick  and  he  enjoyed  a  dip  in  a  small 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  24'? 

Irrigation  tank  close  to  the  wood.  After  this  Ned  again 
smeared  himself  over  with  mud,  and  sat  down  in  the  sun 
to  dry.  Then  he  dressed  himself  in  the  cloth  that  had 
"been  given  him  the  night  before,  opened  his  oven,  took 
out  the  wig,  gave  it  a  good  shake,  and  put  it  on,  saying, 
"Thank  God  I  feel  clean  again;  I  have  had  the  horrors 
for  the  last  three  days,  Dick." 

In  the  three  nights'  journey  the  boys  had  traveled  a 
hundred  and  eleven  miles,  and  were  now  close  to  Fer- 
ruckabad,  a  town  of  considerable  size.  They  pursued 
their  usual  tactics — entered  it  after  dusk,  and  sat  down 
near  the  outskirts.  The  signal  calls  were  answered  as 
before,  and  a  number  of  the  faithful  gathered  round  with 
their  simple  offerings  of  food. 

As  they  began  stating  their  grievances  Ned  as  usual 
warned  them  off  with  a  brief  "to-morrow"  when  he  saw 
outside  the  group  of  Hindoos  two  or  three  Mussulman 
troopers. 

These  moved  closely  up,  and  contemplated  the  wild- 
looking  fakir,  with  his  tangled  hair  and  his  eyes  peering 
out  through  the  tangle.  One  of  them  looked  at  the  bear 
for  some  time  attentively,  and  then  said : 

"That  is  no  bear;  it  is  a  man  in  a  bear's  skin." 

Ned  had  feared  that  the  discovery  might  be  made,  and 
liad  from  the  first  had  his  answer  ready. 

"Fool,"  he  said  in  a  loud,  harsh  voice,  "who  with  his 
eyes  in  his  head  supposed  that  it  was  a  bear?  It  is  one 
who  has  sinned  and  is  under  a  vow.  Dogs  like  you 
know  naught  of  these  things,  but  the  followers  of  Siva 
know." 

"Do  you  call  me  a  dog?"  said  the  Mussulman  angrily, 
and  strode  forward  as  if  to  strike ;  but  Ned  leaped  to  his 
feet,  and  twirling  his  staff  round  his  head,  brought  it 
clown  with  such  force  on  the  soldier's  wrist  that  it  nearly 


248  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

broke  the  arm.  The  Hindoos  began  to  shout  "Sacri- 
lege!" as  the  Mussulman  drew  his  pistol.  Before  he 
could  fire,  however,  his  comrades  threw  themselves  upon 
him.  At  this  time  it  was  the  policy  of  Hindoos  and  Mussul- 
mans alike  to  drop  all  religious  differences,  and  the 
troopers  knew  that  any  assault  upon  a  holy  fakir  would 
excite  to  madness  the  Hindoo  population. 

The  furious  Mohammedan  was  therefore  dragged  away 
by  his  fellows,  and  Ned  calmly  resumed  his  seat.  The 
Hindoos  brought  a  fresh  supply  of  food  for  the  holy  man 
expiating  his  sin  in  so  strange  a  way,  and  then  left  the 
fakir  to  his  meditation  and  his  rest. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  Warreners  were  on  their  way, 
and  before  morning  congratulated  themselves  upon  hav- 
ing done  more  than  half  of  the  two  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  which  separate  Lucknow  from  Delhi.  The  remain- 
ing distance  took  them,  however,  much  longer  than  the 
first  part  had  done,  for  Dick  cut  his  foot  badly  against 
a  stone  the  next  night,  and  was  so  lamed  that  the  night 
journeys  had  to  be  greatly  shortened.  Instead,  there- 
fore, of  arriving  in  eight  days,  as  they  had  hoped,  it  was 
the  3d  of  September — that  is,  thirteen  days  from  their 
Gtart — before  they  saw  in  the  distance  the  British  flag 
flying  on  the  watch-tower  on  the  Bidge.  They  had  made 
a  long  detour  and  came  in  at  the  rear  of  the  British  posi- 
tion. On  this  side  the  country  was  perfectly  open,  and 
the  villagers  brought  in  eggs  and  other  produce  to  the 
camp. 

Upon  the  25th  of  August  the  enemy  had  sent  a  force 
of  six  thousand  men  to  intercept  the  heavy  siege  train 
which  was  on  its  way  to  the  British  camp  from  the  Pun- 
jab. Brigadier-General  Nicholson,  one  of  the  most 
gallant  and  promising  officers  of  the  British  army,  was 
Bent  out  against  them  with  a  force  of  two  thousand  meiij 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  %$j& 

of  which  only  one-fourth  were  British.  He  met  them  ah 
iUijufghur  and  imited  them,  capturing  all  their  guns, 
thirteen  in  number.  A  curious  instance  here  occurred  of 
the  manner  in  which  the  least  courageous  men  will  fight 
when  driven  to  bay.  The  army  of  six  thousand  men  had 
made  so  poor  a  fight  that  the  British  loss  in  killed  and 
wounded  amounted  to  only  thirty-three  men.  After  it 
was  over,  it  was  found  that  a  party  of  some  twenty  rebels 
had  taken  shelter  in  a  house  in  a  village  in  the  British 
rear.  The  Punjab  infantry  was  sent  to  drive  them  out, 
but  its  commanding  officer  and  many  of  its  men  were 
killed  by  the  desperate  handful  of  mutineers.  Tha 
Sixty -first  Queen's  was  then  ordered  up,  but  the  enemy 
was  not  overpowered  until  another  officer  was  danger- 
ously wounded  and  many  had  fallen.  Altogether,  tha 
victory  over  this  little  band  of  men  cost  us  sixteen  killed 
and  forty-six  wounded — that  is  to  say,  double  the  loss 
which  had  been  incurred  in  defeating  six  thousand  of 
them  in  the  open.  The  result  of  this  engagement  was 
that  the  road  in  the  rear  of  the  British  camp  was  per- 
fectly open,  and  the  Warreners  experienced  no  hindrance 
whatever  in  approaching  the  camp. 

Dick  had,  after  crossing  the  Oude  frontier,  left  his 
bear's  skin  behind  him,  and  adopted  the  simple  costume 
of  a  native  peasant,  the  blue  cloth  and  a  white  turban, 
Ned  having  begged  a  piece  of  white  cotton  for  the  pur- 
pose. Traveling  only  at  night,  when  the  natives  wrap 
themselves  up  very  much,  there  was  little  fear  of  Dick's 
color  being  detected ;  and  as  he  kept  himself  well  in  the 
background  during  the  short  time  of  an  evening  when 
Ned  appeared  in  public,  he  had  passed  without  attracting 
any  attention  whatever. 

The  Warreners'  hearts  leaped  within  on  beholding,  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  3d  of  September,  a  party  of  Britisa 


250  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

cavalry  trotting  along  the  road,  two  miles  from  the  camp. 

"It  is  the  Guides,"  Ned  said.  "We  know  the  officer, 
Dick.  Keep  on  your  disguise  a  minute  longer ;  we  shall 
have  some  fun. ' ' 

Ned  accordingly  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  road  and 
shouted  his  "Hoo-Hac!"  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"Get  out  of  the  way,  you  old  fool,"  the  officer  riding 
at  its  head  said,  as  he  drew  up  his  horse  on  seeing  the 
wild  figure,  covered  with  shaggy  hair  to  the  waist,  twirl- 
ing his  formidable  staff. 

Ned  stopped  a  moment :  "Not  a  bit  more  of  an  old 
fool  than  you  are  yourself,  Tomkins,"  he  said. 

The  officer  reined  his  horse  back  in  his  astonishment. 
He  had  spoken  in  English  unconsciously,  and  being  an- 
swered in  the  same  language,  and  from  such  a  figure  as 
this,  naturally  petrified  him. 

"Who  on  earth  are  you?"  he  asked. 

"Ned  Warrener,  and  this  is  my  brother  Dick;"  and 
Ned  pulled  off  his  wig. 

"By  Jove!"  the  officer  said,  leaping  from  his  horse; 
"I  am  glad  to  see  you.  Where  on  earth  have  you  come 
from?  Some  one  who  came  up  here  from  Allahabad  had 
seen  some  fellow  there  who  had  come  down  from  Cawn- 
pore,  and  he  reported  that  you  had  gone  on  into  Luck- 
now  in  disguise,  and  that  news  had  come  you  had  got 
safely  in." 

"So  we  did,"  Ned  said;  "and  as  you  see,  we  have  got 
safely  out  again.  We  left  there  the  night  of  the 
20th." 

"And  what  was  the  state  of  things  then?"  Lieutenant 
Tomkins  asked.  "How  long  could  they  hold  out?  We 
know  that  it  will  be  another  three  weeks  before  Havelock 
can  hope  to  get  there. ' ' 

"Another  three  weeks!"     Ned  said.     "That  is  terii- 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  251 

"bis.  They  were  hard-pushed  indeed  when  we  left;  the 
enemy  were  driving  mines  in  all  directions;  the  garrison 
were  getting  weaker  and  weaker  every  day,  and  the 
men  fit  for  duty  were  worked  to  death.  It  seems 
next  to  impossible  that  they  could  hold  out  for  another 
four  or  five  weeks  from  the  time  we  left  them ;  but  if  it 
can  be  done,  they  will  do  it.  Do  you  happen  to  have 
heard  of  our  father?" 

"The  man  that  brought  the  news  about  you  said  he 
was  all  right  and  hearty,  and  the  troop  was  doing  good 
work  in  scouring  the  country  round  Cawnpore.  Now  will 
you  ride  back  and  report  yourself  to  General  Wilson?" 
So  saying,  he  ordered  two  of  the  troopers  to  dismount 
and  walk  back  to  camp. 

Ned  had  thrown  down  the  wig  when  he  took  it  off ;  but 
before  mounting  Dick  picked  it  up,  rolled  it  up  into  a 
little  parcel,  and  said: 

"It  is  my  first  effort  in  wig-making,  and  as  it  has  saved 
our  lives,  I'll  keep  it  as  long  as  I  live  as  a  memento ; 
besides,  who  knows?  it  may  be  useful  again  yet." 

Quite  an  excitement  was  created  in  the  camp  behind 
the  Ridge  by  the  arrival  of  the  Guide  cavalry  with  two 
Englishmen  in  native  dress,  and  the  news  that  they  were 
officers  from  Lucknow  quickly  spread. 

The  cavalry  drew  up  at  their  own  lines,  and  then  dis- 
mounting Lieutenant  Tomkins  at  once  sent  an  orderly  to 
the  general  with  the  news,  while  the  boys  were  taken 
inside  a  tent,  and  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  bath;  and  a 
message  was  sent  round  to  the  officers  of  the  regiment 
which  rapidly  resulted  in  sufficient  clothes  being  con- 
tributed to  allow  the  boys  to  make  their  appearance  in 
the  garb  of  British  officers.  j 

A  curry  and  a  cup  of  coffee  were  ready  for  them  by 
the  time  they  were  dressed,  and  these  were  enjoyed  in- 


£52  m  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

deed  after  a  fortnight's  feeding  upon  uncooked  grain3 
varied  only  by  an  occasional  piece  of  native  bread  or 
cake.  The  hasty  meal  concluded,  they  accompanied 
Lieutenant  Tomkins  to  the  general's  tent. 

They  were  most  cordially  received  by  General  Wilson; 
and  omitting  all  details,  they  gave  him  an  account  of 
their  having  been  cut  off  during  a  successful  sortie  from 
Lucknow,  and  having  made  their  way  to  Delhi  in  dis- 
guise. Then  they  proceeded  to  describe  fully  the  state 
of  affairs  at  Lucknow,  a  recital  which  was  at  once  inter- 
esting and  important,  inasmuch  as  though  several  native 
messengers  had  got  through  from  Lucknow  to  General 
Havelock,  as  none  of  them  carried  letters — for  these 
would  have  insured  their  death  if  searched — they  had 
brought  simply  messages  from  General  Inglis  asking 
for  speedy  help,  and  their  stories  as  to  the  existent  state 
of  things  in  the  garrison  were  necessarily  vague  and 
untrustworthy. 

'The  most  satisfactory  portion  of  the  boys'  statement 
was  that  although  the  garrison  were  now  on  short 
rations,  and  that  all  the  comforts,  and  many  of  what  are 
regarded  as  almost  the  necessaries  of  life,  were  exhausted, 
yet  that  there  was  plenty  of  grain  in  the  place  to  enable 
the  besieged  to  exist  for  some  weeks  longer. 

"The  great  fear  is  that  some  essential  part  of  the  de- 
fense may  be  destroyed  by  mines,"  Ned  concluded. 
"Against  open  attacks  I  think  that  the  garrison  is  safe ;  but 
the  enemy  are  now  devoting  themselves  so  much  to  driv- 
ing mines  that  however  great  the  care  and  vigilance  of 
the  garrison,  they  may  not  be  always  able  to  detect  them, 
or  even  if  they  do  so,  to  run  counter-mines,  owing  to  the 
numerical  weakness  of  our  force. ' ' 

"Thanks  for  your  description,  gentlemen;  it  throws  a 
great  light  upon  the  state  of  affairs,  and  is  very  valuable. 


nr  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  253 

I  will  at  once  telegraph  a  resume  of  it  to  the  central 
government  and  to  General  Havelock.  The  pressing 
need  of  aid  will  no  doubt  impress  the  Calcutta  authorities 
with  the  urgent  necessity  to  place  General  Havelock  in  a 
position  to  make  an  advance  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment.  He  will,  of  course,  communicate  to  Colonel 
Warrener  the  news  of  your  safe  arrival  here.  You  have 
gone  through  a  great  deal  indeed  since  you  left  here, 
while  we  have  been  doing  little  more  than  hold  our  own. 
However,  the  tide  has  turned  now.  We  have  received 
large  reinforcements  and  our  siege  train ;  and  I  hope  that 
in  the  course  of  a  fortnight  the  British  flag  will  once 
again  wave  over  Delhi.  In  the  meantime  you  will,  at 
any  rate  for  a  few  days,  need  rest.  I  will  leave  you  for 
a  day  with  your  friends  of  the  Guides,  and  will  then 
attaeh  you  to  one  of  the  divisional  staffs.  I  hope  that 
you  will  both  dine  with  me  to-day. " 

That  evening  at  dinner  the  Warreners  met,  at  the  gen- 
eral's table,  General  Nicholson,  whose  chivalrous  bravery 
placed  him  on  a  par  with  Outram,  who  was  called  the 
Bayard  of  the  British  army.  He  was  short  of  staff 
officers,  and  did  not  wish  to  weaken  the  fighting  powers 
of  the  regiments  of  his  division  by  drawing  officers  from 
them.  He  therefore  asked  General  Wilson  to  attach  the 
Warreners  to  his  personal  staff.  This  request  was  at 
once  complied  with.  Their  new  chief  assured  them  that 
for  the  present  he  had  no  occasion  for  their  services,  and 
that  they  were  at  liberty  to  do  as  they  pleased  until  the 
siege  operations  began  in  earnest.  The  next  few  days 
were  accordingly  spent,  as  Dick  said,  in  eating  and  talk- 
ing. 

Every  regiment  in  camp  was  anxious  to  hear  the  tale 
cf  the  siege  of  Lucknow,  and  of  the  Warreners'  personal 
experience  in  entering  and  leaving  the  besieged  Kesi- 


254  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

dency;  and  accordingly  they  dined,  lunched,  or  "break- 
fasted by  turns  with  every  mess  in  camp.  They  were 
indeed  the  heroes  of  the  day ;  and  the  officers  were  much 
pleased  at  the  simplicity  with  which  these  gallant  lads 
told  their  adventures,  and  at  the  entire  absence  of  any 
consciousness  that  they  had  done  anything  out  of  the 
way.  In  fact,  they  rather  regarded  the  whole  business 
as  two  schoolboys  might  regard  some  adventure  in  which 
they  had  been  engaged,  Dick,  in  particular,  regarding 
all  their  adventures,  with  the  exception  only  of  the 
sufferings  of  the  garrison  of  Lucknow,  in  the  light  of  an 
"immense  lark." 

In  the  meantime  the  troops  were  working  day  and 
Bight  in  the  trenches  and  batteries,  under  the  directions 
of  the  engineer  officers ;  and  every  heart  beat  high  with 
satisfaction  that  after  standing  for  months  on  the  defen- 
sive, repelling  continual  attacks  of  enormously  superior 
numbers,  at  last  their  turn  had  arrived,  and  that  the  day 
■was  at  hand  when  the  long-deferred  vengeance  was  to  fall 
upon  the  blood-stained  city. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ggff 


OHAPTEK  XVIII. 

THE    STORMING    OF    DELHI. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  September  the  battery, 
eight  hundred  yards  from  the  Moree  gate  of  Delhi, 
opened  fire,  and  sent  the  first  battering  shot  against  the 
town  which  had  for  three  months  been  besieged. 
Hitherto,  indeed,  light  shot,  shell,  and  shrapnel  had  been 
fired  at  the  gunners  on  the  walls  to  keep  down  their  fire, 
and  the  city  and  palace  had  been  shelled  by  the  mortar 
batteries;  but  not  a  shot  had  been  fired  with  the  object 
of  injuring  the  walls  or  bringing  the  siege  to  an  end. 

For  three  months  the  besiegers  had  stood  on  the  offen- 
sive, and  the  enemy  not  only  held  the  city,  but  had 
erected  very  strong  works  in  the  open  ground  in  front  of 
the  Lahore  gate,  and  had  free  ingress  and  egress  from 
the  town  at  all  points  save  from  the  gates  on  the  north 
side,  facing  the  British  position  on  the  Ridge.  During 
these  three  long  months,  however,  the  respective  position 
of  the  parties  had  changed  a  good  deal.  For  the  first 
month  the  mutineers  were  elated  with  their  success  all 
over  that  part  of  India.  They  were  intoxicated  with 
treason  and  murder ;  and  their  enormous  numbers  in  com- 
parison with  those  of  the  British  troops  in  the  country 
made  them  not  only  confident  of  success,  but  arrogant 
in  the  belief  that  success  was  already  assured.  Gradu- 
ally, however,  the  failure  of  all  their  attempts,  even  with 
enormously  superior  forces,  to  drive  the  little  British 


256  -EV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

force  from  the  grip  which  it  so  tenaciously  held  of  iha 
hill  in  front  of  Delhi  damped  the  ardor  of  their  enthusi- 
asm. Doubts  as  to  whether,  after  all,  their  mutiny  and 
their  treachery  would  meet  with  eventual  success,  and 
fear  that  punishment  for  their  atrocities  would  finally 
overtake  them,  began  for  the  first  time  to  enter  their 
minds. 

Quarrels  and  strife  broke  out  between  the  various 
leaders  of  the  movement,  and  pitched  battles  were  fought 
between  the  men  of  different  corps.  Then  came  pesti- 
lence and  swept  the  crowded  quarters.  A  reign  of  terror 
prevailed  throughout  the  city ;  the  respectable  inhabit- 
ants were  robbed  and  murdered,  shops  were  burst  open 
and  sacked,  and  riot  and  violence  reigned  supreme. 

The  puppet  monarch,  terrified  at  the  disorder  that  pre- 
vailed, and  finding  his  authority  was  purely  nominal — 
the  real  power  resting  in  the  hands  of  his  own  sons,  who 
had  taken  a  leading  share  in  getting  up  the  revolt,  and 
in  those  of  the  Sepoy  generals — began  to  long  for  rest 
and  quiet.  The  heavy  shell  which  from  time  to  tima 
crashed  into  his  palace  disturbed  his  peace,  and  through 
his  wives  he  secretly  endeavored  to  open  negotiations 
with  the  British.  These  overtures  were,  however,  re- 
jected. The  king  had  no  power  whatever,  and  he  and 
his  household  were  all  concerned  in  the  massacres  which 
had  taken  place  in  the  palace  itself. 

It  was  then  by  an  army  which,  however  small,  was 
confident  of  victory,  against  one  which,  however  large, 
was  beginning  to  doubt  that  final  success  would  be  theirs, 
that  the  siege  operations  began  on  the  morning  of  tha 
8th  of  September.  Thenceforth  the  besiegers  worked 
night  and  day.  Every  night  saw  fresh  batteries  rising 
at  a  distance  of  only  three  hundred  yards  from  tha 
walls;   fifteeen    hundred    camels    brought    earth;    threa 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  gfiff 

thousand  men  filled  sandbags,  placed  fascines,  and 
erected  traverses  for  the  guns.  The  batteries  rose  as  if 
hy  magic.  The  besieged  viewed  these  preparations  with 
a  strange  apathy.  They  might  at  the  commencement  of 
the  work  have  swept  the  ground  with  such  a  shower  of 
grape  and  musketry  fire  that  the  erection  of  batteries  so 
elose  to  their  walls  would  have  been  impossible ;  but  for 
the  first  three  nights  of  the  work  they  seemed  to  pay  but 
little  heed  to  what  we  were  doing,  and  when  at  last  they 
awoke  to  the  nature  of  our  proceedings,  and  began  a 
furious  cannonade  against  the  British,  the  works  had 
reached  a  height  that  afforded  shelter  to  those  employed 
upon  them.  Each  battery,  as  fast  as  the  heavy  siege 
guns  were  placed  in  position,  opened  upon  the  walls, 
xmtil  forty  heavy  guns  thundered  incessantly. 

The  enemy  now  fought  desperately.  Our  fire  over- 
powered that  of  the  guns  at  the  bastions  opposed  to 
them ;  but  from  guns  placed  out  in  the  open,  on  our 
iiank,  they  played  upon  our  batteries,  while  from  the 
walls  a  storm  of  musketry  fire  and  rockets  was  poured 
upon  us.  But  our  gunners  worked  away  unceasingly. 
Piece  by  piece  the  massive  walls  crumbled  under  our 
fire  until,  on  the  13th,  yawning  gaps  were  torn  through 
the  walls  of  the  Cashmere  and  "Water  bastions.  That 
night  four  engineer  officers — Medley,  Long,  Greathead 
and  Home — crept  forward  and  examined  the  breaches, 
and  returned,  reporting  that  it  would  be  possible  to 
climb  the  heaps  of  rubbish  and  enter  at  the  gaps  in  the 
wall.  Orders  were  at  once  issued  for  the  assault  to  take 
place  at  daybreak  next  morning. 

The  assaulting  force  was  divided  into  four  columns; 
the  first,  composed  of  three  hundred  men  of  the  Seventy- 
fifth  Begiment,  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  First 
Bengal  Fusiliers,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the 


258  I&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Second  Punjab  Infantry — in  all  one  thousand  men,  uncial' 
Brigadier-General  Nicholson,  were  to  storm  the  breach 
near  the  Cashmere  bastion.  The  second  column,  consist- 
ing of  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  Eighth  Regi- 
ment, two  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  Second  Bengal 
Fusiliers,  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  Fourth 
Sikh  Infantry,  under  Colonel  Jones,  C.B.,  were  to  storm 
the  breach  in  the  Water  bastion.  The  third  column,  con- 
sisting of  two  hundred  men  of  the  Fifty-second  Regi- 
ment, two  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  Ghoorka  Kumaan 
Battalion,  and  five  hundred  men  of  the  First  Punjab 
Infantry,  under  Colonel  Campbell,  were  to  assault  by  the 
Cashmere  gate,  which  was  to  be  blown  open  by  the 
engineers.  The  fourth  column,  eight  hundred  and  sixty 
strong,  was  made  up  of  detachments  of  European  regi- 
ments, the  Sirmoor  Battalion  of  Ghoorkas,  and  the 
Guides.  It  was  commanded  by  Major  Reed,  and  was  to 
carry  the  suburb  outside  the  walls,  held  by  the  rebels, 
called  Kissengunge,  and  to  enter  the  city  by  the  Lahore 
gate.  In  addition  to  the  four  storming  columns  was 
the  reserve,  fifteen  hundred  strong,  under  Brigadier 
Longfield.  It  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men  of  the  Sixty-first  Begiment,  three  hundred  of  the 
Beloochee  Battalion,  four  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  Fourth 
Punjab  Infantry,  three  hundred  of  the  Jhind  Auxil- 
iary Force,  and  two  hundred  of  the  Sixtieth  Rifles,  who 
were  to  cover  with  their  fire  the  advance  of  the  storming 
column,  and  then  to  take  their  places  with  the  reserves. 
This  body  was  to  await  the  success  of  the  storming 
column,  and  then  follow  them  into  the  city,  and  assist 
them  as  required.  The  cavalry  and  the  rest  of  the  force 
were  to  cover  the  flank  and  defend  the  Ridge,  should  the 
enemy  attempt  a  counter-attack. 

Precisely  at  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  14th 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  259 

the  Sixtieth  Rifles  dashed  forward  in  skirmishing  order 
toward  the  walls,  and  the  heads  of  the  assaulting  columns 
moved  out  of  the  batteries,  which  had  until  this  moment 
kept  up  their  fire  without  intermission. 

The  Warreners  were  on  duty  by  the  side  of  General 
Nicholson,  and  accustomed  as  they  were  to  danger,  their 
hearts  beat  fast  as  they  awaited  the  signal.  It  was  to  be 
a  tremendous  enterprise — an  enterprise  absolutely  un- 
rivaled in  history — for  five  thousand  men  to  assault  a 
city  garrisoned  by  some  thirty  thousand  trained  troops, 
and  a  fanatical  and  turbulent  population  of  five  hundred 
thousand,  all,  it  may  be  said,  fighting  with  ropes  round 
their  necks. 

As  the  Rifles  dashed  forward  in  front,  and  the  head  of 
the  column  advanced,  a  terrific  fire  of  musketry  broke 
out  from  wall  and  bastion,  which  the  British,  all  neces- 
sity for  concealment  being  over,  answered  with  a  tre- 
mendous cheer  as  they  swept  forward.  Arrived  at  the 
ditch  there  was  a  halt.  It  took  some  time  to  place  the 
ladders,  and  officers  and  men  fell  fast  under  the  hail  of 
bullets.  Then  as  they  gathered  in  strength  in  the  ditch 
there  was  one  wild  cheer,  and  they  dashed  up  the  slope 
of  rubbish  and  stones,  and  passed  through  the  breach. 

The  entrance  to  Delhi  was  won. 

Scrambling  breathlessly  up,  keeping  just  behind  their 
gallant  general,  the  Warreners  were  among  the  first  to 
win  their  way  into  the  city. 

An  equally  rapid  success  had  attended  the  assault  upon 
the  breach  in  the  "Water  bastion  by  the  second  column. 
Nor  were  the  third  far  behind  in  the  assault  through  the 
Cashmere  gate.  But  here  a  deed  had  first  to  be  done 
which  should  live  in  the  memories  of  Englishmen  so  long 
as  we  exist  as  a  nation. 
I     As  the  head  of  the  assaulting  column  moved  forward 


260  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

a  little  party  started  at  the  double  toward  the  Cashmors 
gate.  The  party  consisted  of  Lieutenants  Home  and 
Salkeld  of  the  Royal  Enginers,  and  Sergeants  Smith  and 
Carmichael  and  Corporal  Burgess  of  the  same  corps; 
Bugler  Hawthorne  of  the  Fifty-second  Regiment;  and 
twenty-four  native  sappers  and  miners  under  Havildars 
Manor  and  Tilluh  Sing.  Each  of  the  sappers  carried  a 
bag  of  powder,  and  covered  by  such  shelter  as  the  fire  of 
the  Sixtieth  Skirmishers  could  give  them,  they  advanced 
to  the  gate.  This  gate  stands  close  to  an  angle  in  the 
wall,  and  from  the  parapets  a  storm  of  musketry  fire  was 
poured  upon  them.  When  they  reached  the  ditch  they 
found  the  drawbridge  destroyed,  but  crossed  in  single 
file  upon  the  beams  on  which  it  rested.  The  gate  was  of 
course  closed,  but  a  small  postern  door  beside  it  was  open, 
and  through  this  the  mutineers  added  a  heavy  fire  to  that 
which  streamed  from  above.  The  sappers  laid  their  bags 
against  the  gate,  and  slipped  down  into  the  ditch  to  allow 
the  firing  party  to  do  their  work.  Many  had  already 
fallen.  Sergeant  Carmichael  was  shot  dead  as  he  laid 
clown  his  powder-bag;  Havildar  Mahor  was  wounded. 
As  Lieutenant  Salkeld  tried  to  fire  the  fuse  he  fell,  shot 
through  the  arm  and  leg;  while  Havildar  Tilluh  Sing, 
who  stood  by,  was  killed,  and  Ramloll  Sepoy  was 
wounded.  As  he  fell  Lieutenant  Salkeld  handed  the 
slow  match  to  Corporal  Burgess,  who  lit  the  fuse,  but  fell 
mortally  wounded  as  he  did  so.  Then  those  who  survived 
jumped,  or  were  helped,  into  the  ditch,  and  in  another 
moment  a  great  explosion  took  place,  and  the  Cashmer9 
gate  blew  into  splinters,  killing  some  forty  mutineers 
who  were  behind  it.  Then  Lieutenant  Home,  seeing 
that  the  way  was  clear,  ordered  Bugler  Hawthorne  to 
sound  the  advance,  and  the  assaulting  column  came  rush- 
ing forward  with  a  cheer,  and  burst  through  the  gateway 
into  the  citjr. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  2ol 

Of  the  six  Englishmen  who  took  part  in  that  glorious 
deed  only  two  lived  to  wear  the  Victoria  Cross,  the 
reward  of  valor.  Two  had  died  on  the  spot,  and  upon 
the  other  four  General  Wilson  at  once  bestowed  the 
Cross ;  but  Lieutenant  Salkeld  died  of  his  wounds,  and 
Lieutenant  Home  was  killed  within  a  week  of  the  capture 
of  the  city.  Thus  only  Sergeant  Smith  and  Bugler  Haw- 
thorne lived  to  wear  the  honor  so  nobly  won. 

General  Nicholson,  who  was  in  general  command  of  the 
whole  force,  concentrated  the  two  columns  which  had 
entered  in  a  wide  open  space  inside  the  Cashmere  gate, 
and  then  swept  the  enemy  off  the  ramparts  as  far  as  the 
Moree  bastion,  the  whole  of  the  north  wall  being  now 
in  the  possession  of  our  troops.  Then  he  proceeded  to 
push  on  toward  the  Lahore  gate,  where  he  expected  to 
meet  Major  Eeed  with  the  fourth  column.  This  column 
had,  however,  failed  even  to  reach  the  Lahore  gate,  the 
enemy's  position  in  the  suburb  beyond  the  wall  proving 
bo  strong,  and  being  held  by  so  numerous  a  force,  that 
after  suffering  very  heavily  the  commander  had  to  call 
back  his  men,  his  retreat  being  covered  by  the  cavalry- 

Thus,  as  General  Nicholson  advanced  through  the  nar- 
row lane  between  the  wall  and  the  houses,  the  column 
was  swept  by  a  storm  of  fire  from  window,  loophole  and 
housetop — a  fire  to  which  no  effective  reply  was  possible. 
Then,  just  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  cheering  on  his  men, 
the  gallant  soldier  fell  back  in  the  arms  of  those  behind 
him,  mortally  wounded.  He  was  carried  off  by  his  sor- 
rowing soldiers,  and  lingered  until  the  26th  of  the 
month,  when,  to  the  deep  grief  of  the  whole  army,  he 
expired. 

It  was  evident  that  any  attempt  to  force  a  path  further 
in  this  direction  would  lead  to  useless  slaughter,  and  that 
the  place  must  be  won  step  by  step,  by  the  aid  of  artil- 
lery,  the  troops  were  called  back  to  the  bastion. 


262  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

A  similar  experience  had  befallen  the  third  column, 
which  had,  guided  by  Sir  T.  Metcalfe,  who  knew  the  city 
intimately,  endeavored  to  make  a  circuit  so  as  to  reach 
and  carry  the  Jumma  Musjid,  the  great  mosque  which 
dominated  the  city.  So  desperate  was  the  resistance  ex- 
perienced that  this  column  had  also  to  fall  back  to  the 
ramparts.  The  reserve  column  had  followed  the  third 
in  at  the  Cashmere  gate,  and  had,  after  some  fighting, 
possessed  itself  of  some  strong  buildings  in  that  neigh- 
borhood, most  important  of  which  was  a  large  and  com- 
manding house,  the  residence  of  Achmed  Ali  Khan ;  and 
when  the  third  column  fell  back,  Skinner's  house,  the 
church,  the  magazine,  and  the  main  guard  were  held, 
and  guns  were  planted  to  command  the  streets  leading 
thereto.  One  cause  of  the  slight  advance  made  that  day 
was  that  the  enemy,  knowing  the  weakness  of  the  Brit- 
ish soldier,  had  stored  immense  quantities  of  champagne 
and  other  wines,  beer  and  spirits,  in  the  streets  next  to 
the  ramparts,  and  the  troops — British,  Sikhs,  Beloochees 
and  Ghoorkas  alike — parched  with  thirst,  and  excited  by 
the  sight  of  these  long-untasted  luxuries,  fell  into  the 
snare,  and  drank  so  deeply  that  the  fighting  power  of  the 
force  was  for  awhile  very  seriously  impaired. 

On  the  15th  the  stubborn  fighting  recommenced. 
From  house  to  house  our  troops  fought  their  way ;  fre- 
quently, when  the  street  was  so  swept  by  fire  that  it  was 
impossible  to  progress  there,  making  their  way  by  break- 
ing down  the  party  walls,  and  so  working  from  one  house 
into  another.  During  this  day  guns  and  mortars  were 
brought  into  the  city  from  our  batteries,  and  placed  so 
as  to  shell  the  palace  and  the  great  building  called  the 
tSelimgur. 

The  next  morning  the  Sixty -first  Regiment  and  the 
fourth  Punjab   Rifles  made  a  rush  at  the   great  magp,,- 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  283 

5,ine,  and  the  rebels  were  so  stricken  by  their  rapidity 
and  dash  that  they  threw  down  their  portfires  and  fled, 
without  even  onee  discharging  the  cannon,  which, 
crammed  to  the  muzzle  with  grape,  commanded  every 
approach.  Here  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  cannon 
and  an  enormous  supply  of  ammunition  fell  into  our 
Lands,  and  a  great  many  of  the  guns  were  at  once  turned 
against  their  late  owners. 

So  day  by  day  the  fight  went  on.  At  night  the  sky 
was  red  with  the  flames  of  burning  houses,  by  day  a  pall 
of  smoke  hung  over  the  city.  From  either  side  cannon 
and  mortars  played  unceasingly,  while  the  rattle  of  mus- 
ketry, the  crash  of  falling  houses,  the  shrieks  of  women, 
the  screams  of  children,  and  the  shouting  of  men,  min- 
gled in  a  chaos  of  sounds.  To  the  credit  of  the  British 
soldier  be  it  said,  that  infuriated  as  they  were  by  the 
thirst  for  vengeance,  the  thought  of  the  murdered 
women,  and  the  heat  of  battle,  not  a  single  case  occurred, 
so  far  as  is  known,  of  a  woman  being  ill-treated,  insulted, 
or  fired  upon — although  the  women  had  been  present  in 
the  massacres,  and  had  constantly  accompanied  and 
cheered  on  the  sorties  of  the  mutineers.  To  the  Sepoys 
met  with  in  Delhi  no  mercy  was  shown ;  every  man  taken 
was  at  once  bayoneted,  and  the  same  fate  befell  all  towns- 
men found  figthing  against  us.  The  rest  of  the  men, 
as  well  as  the  women  and  children,  were,  after  the  fight- 
ing was  over,  permitted  to  leave  the  city  unmolested, 
although  large  numbers  of  them  had  taken  share  in  the 
sack  of  the  white  inhabitants'  houses,  and  the  murder  of 
every  Christian,  British  or  native,  in  the  town.  It  would, 
however,  have  been  impossible  to  separate  the  innocent 
from  the  guilty,  consequently  all  were  allowed  to  go  free. 

From  the  time  that  the  British  troops  burst  through 
the  breaches,  an  exodus  had  begun  from  the  gates  of  tha 


g@4  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

town  on  the  other  side,  and  across  the  bridge  over  the 
Jumna.  Our  heavy  guns  could  have  destroyed  this 
bridge,  and  our  cavalry  might  have  swept  round  the 
city  and  cut  off  the  retreat  on  the  other  side ;  but  the 
proverb  that  it  is  good  to  build  a  bridge  for  a  flying  foe 
was  eminentl3r  applicable  here.  Had  the  enemy  felt  their 
retreat  cut  off — had  they  known  that  certain  death 
awaited  them  unless  they  could  drive  us  out  of  the  city, 
the  defense  would  have  been  so  desperate  that  it  would 
have  been  absolutely  impossible  for  the  British  forces  to 
have  accomplished  it.  The  defense  of  some  of  the  Span- 
ish towns  in  the  Peninsular  war,  by  the  inhabitants, 
fighting  from  house  to  house  against  French  armies, 
showed  what  could  be  effected  by  desperate  men  fighting 
in  narrow  streets ;  and  the  loss  inflicted  on  our  troops  at 
ISTujufghur  by  twenty  Sepoys  was  another  evidence  of 
the  inexpediency  of  driving  the  enemy  to  despair.  As  it 
was,  the  rebels  after  the  first  day  fought  feebly,  and  were 
far  from  making  the  most  of  the  narrow  streets  and 
fitrongly-built  houses.  No  one  liked  to  be  the  first  to 
retreat,  but  all  were  resolved  to  make  off  at  the  earliest 
opportunity.  Men  grew  distrustful  of  each  other,  and 
day  by  day  the  desertions  increased,  the  resistance  dimin- 
ished, and  the  districts  held  by  the  rebels  grew  smaller 
and  smaller.  It  is  true  that  by  thus  allowing  tens  of 
thousands  of  rebels  to  escape  we  allowed  them  to  con- 
tinue the  war  in  the  open  country,  but  here,  as  it  after- 
ward proved,  they  were  contemptible  foes,  and  their 
defeat  did  not  cost;  a  tithe  of  the  loss  which  would  have 
resulted  in  their  extermination  within  the  walls  of  Delhi. 
Up  to  the  20th  the  palace  still  held  out.  This  was  a 
fortress  in  itself,  mounting  many  cannon  on  its  walls,  and 
surrounded  by  an  open  park-like  space.  On  that  morning 
the   engineers  began  to  run  a  trench   to  enable  a  battery 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  235 

to  be  erected  to  play  upon  the  Lahore  gate  of  the  palace. 
Before,  however,  they  had  been  long  at  work,  a  party  of 
men  of  the  Sixty -first,  with  some  Sikhs  and  Ghoorkas, 
ran  boldly  forward,  and  taking  shelter  under  a  low  wall 
close  to  the  gate,  opened  fire  at  the  embrasures  and  loop- 
holes. The  answering  fire  was  so  weak  that  Colonel 
Jones,  who  was  in  command  of  the  troops  in  this  quarter 
— convinced  that  the  report  that  the  king  with  his  wive3 
and  family  and  the  greater  part  of  the  garrison  of  the 
palace,  had  already  left,  was  true — determined  upon 
blowing  in  the  gate  at  once.  Lieutenant  Home  was  ap- 
pointed to  lead  the  party  told  off  for  the  duty,  which  was 
happily  effected  without  loss.  The  British  rushed  in, 
and  found  three  guns  loaded  to  the  muzzle  placed  in  tha 
gateway,  but  fortunately  the  Sepoys  who  should  hava 
fired  them  had  fled. 

The  news  that  the  palace  was  taken  spread  rapidly,  and 
there  was  a  rush  to  share  in  the  spoil.  But  few  of  tha 
enemy  were  found  inside ;  these  were  at  once  bayoneted, 
and  then  a  general  scramble  ensued.  The  order  had 
been  given  that  no  private  plundering  should  be  allowed, 
but  that  everything  taken  should  be  collected  and  sold 
for  the  general  benefit  of  the  troops.  Orders  like  thi3 
are,  however,  never  observed,  at  any  rate  with  portable 
articles;  and  Sikhs,  Ghoorkas,  and  British  alike  loaded 
themselves  with  spoil.  Cashmere  shawls  worth  a  hun- 
dred pounds  were  sold  for  five  shillings,  silk  dresses 
might  be  had  for  nothing,  and  jewelry  went  for  less  than 
the  value  of  the  setting. 

The  same  day  the  headquarters  of  the  army  were  re- 
moved to  the  palace  of  Delhi.  As  the  union  jack  of 
England  ran  up  the  flagstaff  on  the  palace  so  lately  oc- 
cupied by  the  man  crowned  by  the  rebels  Emperor  of 
India,  the  seat  and  headquarters  of  the  revolt  which  had 


266  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

deluged  the  land  with  "blood,  and  caused  the  rule  of 
England  to  totter,  a  royal  salute  was  fired  by  the  British 
guns,  and  tremendous  cheers  arose  from  the  troops  in  all 
parts  of  the  city. 

The  raising  of  that  flag,  the  booming  of  those  guns, 
were  the  signal  of  the  deathblow  of  the  Indian  mutiny. 
Over  one  hundred  thousand  rebels  were  still  in  arms 
against  the  British  government,  but  the  heart  of  the  in- 
surrection was  gone.  It  was  no  longer  a  war,  it  was  a 
rebellion.  There  was  no  longer  a  head,  a  center,  or  a 
common  aim.  Each  body  of  mutineers  fought  for  them- 
selves— for  life  rather  than  for  victory.  The  final  issue 
of  the  struggle  was  now  certain;  and  all  the  native 
princes  who  had  hitherto  held  aloof,  watching  the  issue 
of  the  fight  at  Delhi,  and  remaining  neutral  until  it 
was  decided  whether  the  Sepoys  could  pluck  up  the 
British  flag  from  the  Ridge,  or  the  British  tear  down  the 
emblem  of  rebellion  from  above  the  palace  of  Delhi,  hesi- 
tated no  longer,  but  hastened  to  give  in  their  allegiance 
to  the  victorious  power. 

Nothing  has  been  said  as  to  the  part  the  Warreners 
bore  in  that  fierce  six  days'  fighting.  They  did  their 
duty,  as  did  every  other  man  in  the  British  arnry,  but 
they  had  no  opportunity  for  specially  distinguishing 
themselves.  As  staff  officers,  they  had  often  to  carry 
messages  to  troops  engaged  in  stubborn  fight,  and  in 
doing  so  to  dash  across  open  spaces  and  run  the  gaunt- 
let of  a  score  of  musket  balls ;  both,  however,  escaped 
without  a  scratch.  They  had  not  been  present  on  the 
occasion  of  the  taking  of  the  palace,  for  they  had  been  at 
early  morning  on  the  point  of  going  in  to  the  head- 
quarters for  orders  when  Captain  Hodgson  came  out. 
They  had  dined  with  him  on  the  day  previous  to  tli<9 
assault,  and  he  came  up  to  them  now. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  267 

"Now,"  he  said,  "I  am  just  going  on  an  expedition 
after  your  own  hearts,  lads.  We  have  news  that  the  king 
and  queen  have  stolen  away,  and  have  gone  to  the  palace 
at  the  Kotub  Minar.  I  am  going  with  my  troops  to 
bring  them  in.     Would  you  like  to  go?" 

"Oh,  yes,  of  all  things,"  the  Warreners  exclaimed. 
"But  we  have  no  horses." 

"Oh,  I  can  mount  you,"  he  said.  "Several  of  my 
fellows  slipped  into  the  town  in  hopes  of  getting  some 
loot,  and  three  of  four  were  shot ;  so  if  the  general  will 
give  you  leave,  I  will  take  you. ' ' 

The  Warreners  at  once  went  in  to  Brigadier-General 
Jones,  to  whom  they  had  been  attached  since  the  fall  of 
General  Nicholson.  As  they  were  supernumeraries  on 
his  staff,  the  general  at  once  gave  them  leave,  and  in 
high  delight  they  followed  their  friend — a  most  gallant 
and  fearless  officer,  who  had  greatly  distinguished  him- 
self by  the  dashing  exploits  which  he  had  executed  with 
his  troop  of  irregular  horse — to  his  camp  outside  the 
walls.  Half  an  hour  later  they  were  riding  at  a  trot 
toward  the  spot  where  the  ex-emperor  had  taken  refuge. 
Their  route  lay  across  ground  hitherto  in  possession  of 
the  enemy,  and  they  rode  past  thousands  of  armed  bud- 
mashes,  or  blackguards,  of  Delhi,  who  had  left  the  city, 
and  were  making  their  way  to  join  some  of  the  rebel 
leaders  in  the  field.  These  scowled  and  muttered  curses 
a3  the  little  troop  rode  by ;  but  the  blow  which  had  just 
been  dealt  was  so  crushing,  the  dread  inspired  by  British 
valor  so  complete,  that  although  apparently  numerous 
enough  to  have  destroyed  the  little  band  without; 
difficulty,  not  a  man  dared  raise  his  voice  or  lift  a 
weapon. 

"What  are  all  these  wonderful  ruins?"  Dick  asked 
bain  Hodgson,  by  whose  side  they  were  riding. 


gg3  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"This  is  where  old  Delhi  stood.  These  great  build- 
ings are  tombs  of  kings  and  other  great  men ;  the  smaller 
houses  have  gone  to  dust  centuries  ago,  but  these  mass- 
ive buildings  will  remain  for  as  many  centuries  more. 
Wait  till  you  see  Kotub  Minar;  in  my  opinion  there  is 
nothing  in  India  or  in  the  world  to  equal  it. ' ' 

Another  half-hour's  riding  brought  them  into  sight  of 
a  magnificent  shaft  of  masonry  rising  far  above  the  plain. 

"That  is  the  Minar,"  Captain  Hodgson  said;  "it  is 
the  same  word  as  minaret.     Is  it  not  magnificent?" 

The  Kotub  Minar  is  an  immense  shaft,  tapering  gradu- 
ally toward  the  top.  It  is  built  in  stages,  with  a  gallery 
round  each.  Each  stage  is  different.  In  one  it  is  fluted 
with  round  columns  like  a  huge  mass  of  basalt.  In 
another  the  columns  are  angular;  and  in  the  next,  round 
and  angular  alternately.  The  highest  stage  is  plain. 
The  height  is  very  great,  and  the  solidity  of  execution 
and  the  strength  of  the  edifice  are  as  striking  as  its 
height  and  beauty. 

They  were  not,  however,  to  go  so  far  as  the  Kotub,  for 
questioning  some  peasants,  they  learned  that  the  king- 
had  halted  at  a  building  called  Durzah-Nizam-oo-deen. 
The  gates  were  shut,  and  it  was  certain  that  the  king 
would  have  a  large  body  of  retainers  with  him.  Match- 
lock men  showed  at  the  windows  and  on  the  roof,  and 
things  looked  awkward  for  the  little  troop  of  cavalry. 
Captain  Hodgson  rode  forward,  however,  without  hesita- 
tion, and  struck  on  the  great  gate.  A  window  by  the  side 
of  the  gate  opened,  and  he  was  asked  what  was  wanted. 

"I  am  come  to  take,  and  to  carry  into  Delhi,  the  ex- 
king  and  his  family.  It  is  better  to  submit  quietly,  for 
if  I  have  to  force  my  way  in  every  soul  in  the  place  will 
be  put  to  the  sword." 

In  two  minutes  the  postern  opened,  and  a  closely -veiled 
figure  made  her  appearance. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  263 

tcl  am  the  Begum, "  she  said.  And  Captain  Hodgson 
bent  in  acknowledgment  that  the  favorite  wife  of  the 
man  who  was  yesterday  regarded  as  the  Emperor  of  India 
stood  before  him. 

"The  king  will  surrender,"  she  said,  "if  you  will 
promise  that  his  life  shall  be  spared ;  if  not,  he  will  de- 
fend himself  to  the  last  and  will  die  by  his  own  hand. ' ' 

"Defense  would  be  useless,"  Captain  Hodgson  said. 
"The  force  I  have  would  suffice  amply  to  carry  the  place; 
and  if  it  did  not,  in  three  hours  any  reinforcements  I 
could  ask  for  would  be  here.  I  have  no  authority  to  give 
such  a  promise. ' ' 

"If  you  give  the  promise  it  will  be  kept,"  the  Begum 
said.  "If  you  refuse,  the  king  will  shoot  himself  when 
the  first  soldier  passes  the  gate." 

Captain  Hodgson  hesitated.  It  was  true  that  he  had 
no  authority  to  make  such  a  promise ;  but  he  felt  that 
government  would  far  rather  have  the  king  a  captive  ia 
their  hands  than  that  he  should  excite  a  feeling  of  re- 
gret and  admiration  among  the  people  by  dying  by  his 
own  hand  in  preference  to  falling  into  those  of  the 
British. 

"I  agree,"  he  said,  after  a  pause.  "I  promise  that 
the  king's  life  shall  be  spared." 

In  a  minute  the  gate  was  thrown  back,  and  an  aged 
man  came  out,  followed  by  several  women.  The  age  of 
che  king  was  nearly  eighty-five,  and  he  was  from  first  to 
last  a  mere  puppet  in  the  hands  of  others.  In  no  case 
y/ould  he  have  been  executed  by  the  government,  since 
the  old  man  was  clearly  beyond  any  active  participation 
in  what  had  taken  place. 

The  litter  in  which  the  king  and  his  wives  had  been 
conveyed  from  Delhi  was  again  brought  into  requisition, 
and  the  party  was  soon  en  route   for  Delhi.     The  royal 


270  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

palace  had  been  but  a  few  Lours  in  our  bands  berore  tl:  3 
ez-king  was  brought  in,  a  prisoner  where  he  had  so  lately 
reigned.  He  was  lodged  with  his  women  in  a  small 
building  in  the  palace,  under  a  strong  guard,  until  it 
should  be  decided  what  to  do  with  him. 

"I  shall  go  out  to-morrow  to  try  and  catch  some  of  the 
sons  of  the  old  man.  They  are  the  real  culprits  in  the 
matter.  If  you  like  to  go  out  again,  and  can  get  off 
duty,  well  and  good,"  Captain  Hodgson  said. 

The  boys,  who  were  very  pleased  at  having  been  pres- 
ent at  so  historical  an  event  as  the  capture  of  the  king  of 
Delhi,  warmly  thanked  Captain  Hodgson;  and  having 
again  obtained  leave,  started  with  him  on  the  following 
morning  at  daybreak.  Some  of  the  princes  a  spy  had 
reported  to  Captain  Hodgson  as  being  at  Humayoon'a 
tomb,  a  large  building  near  the  Kotub  Minar.  They 
rode  in  the  same  direction  that  they  had  gone  out  on 
the  preceding  day,  but  proceeded  somewhat  further. 

"That  is  Humayoon's  tomb,"  Captain  Hodgson  said, 
pointing  to  a  large  square  building  with  a  domed  roof 
and  four  lofty  minarets,  standing  half  a  mile  off  the  road. 

The  troop  rode  up  at  a  gallop,  and  surrounding  the 
building,  dismounted.  Soldiers  were  placed  at  all  the 
various  doors  of  the  building,  with  orders  to  shoot  down 
any  one  who  might  come  out,  and  Captain  Hodgson  sent 
a  lojral  moulvie,  named  Rujol  Ali,  who  had  accompanied 
3aim,  into  the  building,  to  order  the  princes  there  to  coma 
cut.  Then  arose  within  the  building  a  great  tumult  of 
voices,  as  the  question  whether  they  should  or  should  not 
surrender  was  argued.  Several  times  the  moulvie  re- 
turned, to  ask  if  any  conditions  would  be  given;  bub 
Hodgson  said  sternly  that  no  conditions  whatever  would 
be  made  with  them. 

At  last,  after  two  hours'  delay,  two  of  the   sons  and  <?, 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  271 

grandson  of  the  king,  all  of  whom  had  been  leaders  ia. 
the  mutiny,  and  authors  of  massacres  and  atrocities, 
came  out  and  surrendered.  They  were  immediately 
placed  in  a  carriage  which  had  been  brought  for  the 
purpose,  a  guard  was  placed  over  them,  and  ordered  to 
proceed  slowly  toward  the  city. 

Then  Hodgson,  accompanied  by  the  Warreners,  entered 
the  inclosure  which  surrounded  the  tomb.  Here  from 
five  to  six  thousand  of  the  refuse  of  the  city,  many  of 
them  armed,  were  assembled.  A  yell  of  hate  arose  as  the 
little  band  entered ;  guns  were*  shaken  defiantly ;  sabers 
waved  in  the  air.  The  odds  were  tremendous,  and  the 
"Warreners  felt  that  nothing  remained  but  to  sell  their 
lives  dearly. 

"Lay  down  your  arms!"  Captain  Hodgson  shouted  in 
a  stentorian  voice. 

Eight  or  ten  shots  were  fired  from  the  crowd,  and  the 
bullets  whistled  over  the  heads  of  the  horsemen,  but  for- 
tunately none  were  hit. 

"Lay  down  your  arms!"  he  shouted  again.  "Men, 
unsling  your  carbines.     Level." 

As  the  carbines  were  leveled  the  bravery  of  the  mob 
evaporated  at  once.  Those  nearest  threw  down  their 
arms,  and  as  with  leveled  guns  the  horsemen  roda 
through  the  crowd,  arms  were  everywhere  thrown  down, 
and  resistance  was  at  an  end.  Over  a  thousand  guns,  five 
hundred  swords,  and  quantities  of  daggers  and  knives 
were  collected ;  and  a  number  of  elephants,  camels  and 
horses  were  captured. 

Ordering  the  native  lieutenant  to  remain  with  the  troop 
in  charge  of  these  things  until  some  carts  could  be  sent 
out  for  the  arms,  Captain  Hodgson,  accompanied  by  the 
boys,  rode  off  after  the  carriage,  which  had  started  two 
hours  before. 


2>?2  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

They  rode  rapidly  until  they  neared  Delhi,  when  they 
saw  the  carriage,  surrounded  by  a  great  mob.  Captain 
Hodgson  set  spurs  to  his  horse  and  galloped  forward  at 
full  speed,  followed  by  the  boys.  They  burst  through 
the  crowd,  who  were  a  large  body  of  ruffians  who  had 
just  left  the  city,  where  the  fighting  was  even  now  not 
over,  and  who  were  all  armed.  A  defiant  cry  broke  from 
them  as  the  three  horsemen  rode  up  to  the  carriage,  from 
which  with  the  greatest  difficulty  the  guard  had  so  far 
kept  the  crowd. 

There  was  not  a  moment  for  hesitation.  Captain 
Hodgson  raised  a  hand,  and  a  momentary  silence  reigned. 

"These  men  in  the  carriage,"  said  he  in  loud  tones, 
"have  not  only  rebelled  against  the  government,  but 
have  ordered  and  witnessed  the  massacre  and  shameful 
treatment  of  women  and  children.  Thus,  therefore,  the 
government  punishes  such  traitors  and  murderers!" 

Then  drawing  his  revolver,  before  the  crowd  could 
move  or  lift  a  hand  he  shot  the  three  prisoners  through 
the  head.  The  crowd,  awed  and  astonished,  fell  back, 
raid  the  carriage  with  the  dead  bodies  passed  into  tha 
city. 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTEK   XIX. 

A     RIOT     AT     OAWNPOBE. 

'While  the  guns  of  Delhi  were  saluting  the  raising  of 
the  British  flag  over  the  royal  palace,  General  Havelock 
and  his  force  were  fighting  their  way  up  to  Lucknow. 
On  the  19th  of  September  he  crossed  the  Ganges, 
brushed  aside  the  enemy's  opposition,  and  after  three 
days'  march  in  a  tremendous  rain,  found  them  in  force 
at  the  Alumbagh.  After  a  short,  sharp  fight  they  were 
defeated,  and  the  Alumbagh  fell  into  our  hands.  All  the 
stores  and  baggage  were  left  here,  with  a  force  strong 
enough  to  hold  it  against  all  attacks ;  and  after  a  day  to 
rest  his  troops,  General  Havelock  advanced  on  the  22d, 
defeated  the  enemy  outside  Lucknow,  and  then,  as  the 
direct  route  was  known  to  be  impassable,  he  followed  the 
canal  as  far  as  the  Kaiserbagh,  and  there  turning  off, 
fought  his  way  through  the  streets  to  the  Residency, 
where  he  arrived  only  just  in  time,  for  the  enemy  had 
driven  two  mines  right  under  the  defenses,  and  these 
would,  had  the  reinforcements  arrived  but  one  day  later, 
have  been  exploded,  and  the  fate  of  the  garrison  of  Cawn- 
pore  might  have  befallen  the  defenders  of  Lucknow. 

The  desperate  street-fighting  had,  however,  terribly 
weakened  the  little  force  which  had  performed  the  feat. 
Out  of  fifteen  hundred  men  who  had  entered  the  city, 
a  third  were  killed  or  wounded,  among  the  former  being 
the  gallant  Brigadier-General  Neill. 


274:  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

With  so  weak  a  force  it  was  evident  that  it  would  be 
hopeless  to  endeavor  to  carry  off  the  sick,  the  wounded, 
the  women  and  children  Khrough  the  army  of  rebels  that 
surrounded  them,  and  it  was  therefore  determined  to 
continue  to  hold  the  Residency  until  further  aid  arrived. 
The  siege  therefore  recommenced,  but  under  different 
conditions,  for  the  increased  force  enabled  the  British  to 
hold  a  larger  area;  and  although  the  discomforts  and 
privations  were  as  great  as  before — for  the  reinforcements 
had  brought  no  food  in  with  them — the  danger  of  tli9 
place  being  carried  by  assault  was  now  entirely  at  an  end. 

One  noble  action  connected  with  the  relief  of  Lucknow 
will  never  be  forgotten.  Before  General  Havelock  started 
lip  from  Cawnpore,  General  Sir  James  Outram,  his  senior 
officer,  arrived  with  authority  to  take  the  command. 
Upon  his  arrival,  however,  he  issued  a  general  order,  to 
say  that  to  General  Havelock,  who  had  done  such  great 
deeds  to  relieve  Lucknow,  should  be  the  honor  of  the 
crowning  success;  and  that  he  therefore  waived  his 
seniority,  and  would  fight  under  General  Havelock  as  a 
volunteer  until  Lucknow  was  relieved.  A  more  generous 
act  of  self-negation  than  this  was  never  accomplished. 
To  the  man  who  relieved  Lucknow  would  fall  honor, 
fame,  the  gratitude  of  the  English  people,  and  all  this 
General  Outram  of  his  own  accord  resigned.  He  was 
worthy  indeed  of  the  name  men  gave  him — the  "Bayard 
of  India." 

The  news  that  Lucknow  was  relieved  caused  almost  as 
much  delight  to  the  troops  at  Delhi  as  their  own  suc- 
cesses had  given  them,  for  the  anxiety  as  to  the  safety  of 
the  garrison  was  intense.  To  the  Warreners  the  news 
gave  an  intense  pleasure,  for  the  thought  of  the  friends 
they  had  left  behind  in  that  terrible  strait  had  been  ever 
present   to   their    mind.       The   faces   of    the    suffering 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  275 

■women,  the  tender  girls,  the  delicate  children,  had 
haunted  them  night  and  day;  and  their  joy  at  the 
thought  that  these  were  rescued  from  the  awful  fate 
impending  over  them  knew  no  bounds. 

It  was  not  at  Delhi,  however,  that  the  Warreners  heard 
the  news;  for  on  the  23d,  only  three  days  after  tue  oc- 
cupation of  the  city,  they  left  with  the  flying  column  of 
Colonel  Greathead,  which  was  ordered  to  march  down  to 
Agra,  clearing  away  the  bands  of  mutineers  which  in- 
fested the  intervening  country,  and  then  to  march  to 
Cawnpore,  to  be  in  readiness  to  advance  on  Lucknow. 
The  boys  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  leave  to  accom- 
pany this  column,  as  Ned  would  naturally  on  the  first 
opportunity  rejoin  his  regiment,  which  was  at  Cawnpore, 
while  Dick  was  longing  to  form  one  of  the  naval  brigade, 
which,  under  Captain  Peel,  was  advancing  up  the 
country. 

The  rebels  were  found  in  force  at  Allyghur,  and  were 
defeated  without  difficulty;  and  after  several  minor 
skirmishes  the  force  marched  hastily  down  to  Agra, 
which  was  threatened  by  a  large  body  of  the  enemy. 
Without  a  halt  they  marched  thirty  miles  to  Agra,  and 
encamped  in  the  open  space  outside  the  fort. 

Just  as  they  were  cooking  their  meals,  a  battery  of 
artillery  opened  upon  them,  an  infantry  fire  broke  out 
from  the  surrounding  houses,  and  a  large  body  of  cavalry 
dashed  in  among  them. 

For  a  moment  all  was  confusion;  but  the  troops  were 
all  inured  to  war;  with  wonderful  rapidity  they  rallied 
and  attacked  the  'enemy,  who  were  over  five  thousand 
strong,  and  finally  defeated  them  with  great  slaughter, 
and  captured  fourteen  guns.  Agra  saved,  the  column 
started  two  dajrs  later  for  Cawnpore ;  upon  the  way  it 
defeated  bodies  of  rebels,  and  punished  some  zemindars 


273  !N  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

who  had  taken  part  against  us,  and  arrived  at  Cawnpora 
on  the  26th  of  October. 

At  Majupoorie,  halfway  up  from  Agra,  the  force  had 
been  joined  by  a  brigade  under  Colonel  Hope  Grant, 
who,  as  senior  officer,  took  the  command  of  the  column. 
They  marched  into  Cawnpore  thirty-five  hundred  strong, 
all  troops  who  had  gone  through  the  siege  of  Delhi ;  and 
Ned  at  once  joined  his  regiment,  where  he  was  warmly 
received. 

On  the  following  day  the  Ninety-third  Highlanders  and 
a  part  of  the  naval  brigade,  two  hundred  strong,  arrived; 
and  Dick's  delight  as  the  column  marched  in  was  un- 
bounded. He  reported  himself  for  duty  at  once,  and,  as 
among  the  officers  were  some  of  his  own  shipmates,  ha 
was  at  once  at  home. 

There  was  little  sleep  in  the  tents  of  the  junior  officers 
of  the  brigade  that  night.  Dick's  name  had  been  twice 
mentioned  in  dispatches,  and  all  sorts  of  rumors  as  to 
his  doings  had  reached  his  comrades.  The  moment, 
therefore,  that  dinner  was  over,  Dick  was  taken  to  a, 
tent,  placed  on  a  very  high  box  on  a  table,  supplied  with 
grog,  and  ordered  to  spin  his  yarn,  which,  although 
modestly  told,  elicited  warm  applause  from  his  hearers. 

On  the  30th,  Colonel  Grant's  column  moved  forward, 
and  arrived  after  three  days'  march  within  six  miles  of 
the  Alumbagh.  They  had  with  them  a  great  convoy  of 
siege  material  and  provisions,  and  these  were  next  day 
escorted  safely  into  the  Alumbagh,  where  the  little  garri- 
son had  held  their  own,  though  frequently  attacked,  for 
six  weeks.  The  Sixty -fourth  Eegiment  had  already  done 
so  much  fighting  that  it  was  not  to  form  part  of  the  ad- 
vance. The  naval  briagde  was  increased  on  the  1st  of 
November  by  the  arrival  of  Captain  Peel  himself,  with 
two   hundred    more    sailors    and   four    hundred    troops. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  2T7 

They  had  had  a  heavy  fight  on  the  way  up,  and  had  pro- 
tected the  convoy  and  siege  guns  of  which  they  were  in 
charge,  and  had  defeated  the  enemy,  four  thousand  strong, 
and  captured  all  his  guns,  but  with  a  loss  to  themselves 
of  nearly  one  hundred  men.  Soon  after  the  commence- 
ment of  the  engagement  Colonel  Powell,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  column.,  was  killed,  and  Captain  Peel 
the  took  command  of  the  force  and  won  the  victory. 

The  astonishment  of  the  people  of  Cawnpore  at  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  brawny  tars  was  unbounded.  The  sailors 
went  about  the  streets  in  knots  of  two  or  three,  staring 
at  the  contents  of  the  shops  and  as  full  of  fun  and  good- 
humor  as  so  many  schoolboys.  Greatly  delighted  were 
they  when  the  natives  gave  them  the  least  chance  of  fall- 
ing foul  of  them — for  they  knew  that  the  people  of  the 
town  had  joined  the  mutineers — and  were  only  too  glad 
of  an  excuse  to  pitch  into  them.  They  all  carried  cut- 
lasses, but  these  they  disdained  to  use,  trusting,  and  with 
reason,  to  their  fists,  which  are  to  the  natives  of  India  a 
more  terrible  because  a  more  mysterious  weapon  than 
the  sword.  A  sword  they  understand ;  but  a  quick  hit, 
flush  from  the  shoulder,  which  knocks  them  off  their  feet 
as  if  struck  by  lightning,  is  to  them  utterly  incompre- 
hensible, and  therefore  very  terrible. 

One  day  the  Warreners  were  strolling  together  through 
the  town,  and  turned  off  from  the  more  frequented 
streets,  with  a  view  of  seeing  what  the  lower-class  quar- 
ters were  like.  They  had  gone  some  distance,  when  Ned 
Eaid: 

"I  think  that  we  had  better  turn,  Dick.  These  scowl- 
ing scoundrels  would  be  only  too  glad  to  put  a  knife  into 
lis,  and  we  might  be  buried  away  under  ground  in  one 
of  these  dens,  and  noone  be  ever  any  the  wiser  for  it.  X 
have  no  doubt  when  we  have  finished  with  the  fellows 


f-}'3  m  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

and  get  a  little  time  to  look  round,  there  will  be  a  clear 
sweep  made  of  all  these  slums." 

The  lads  turned  to  go  hack,  when  Dick  said,  "Listen!" 

They  paused,  and  could  hear  a  confused  sound  of 
shouting,  and  a  noise  as  of  a  tumult.  The3r  listened 
attentively. 

"Ned,"  Dick  exclaimed,  "I  am  sure  some  of  thos3 
shouts  are  English.  Some  of  our  fellows  have  got  into  a 
tow;  come  on!" 

So  saying  he  clashed  off  up  the  narrow  street,  accom- 
panied by  his  brother.  Down  two  more  lanes,  and  then, 
in  an  open  space  where  five  or  six  lanes  met,  they  saw  a 
crowd.  In  the  midst  of  it  they  could  see  sabers  flashing 
in  the  air,  while  British  shouts  mingled  with  the  yells  of 
the  natives. 

"This  is  a  serious  business, "  Ned  said  as  they  ran; 
"we  are  in  the  worst  part  of  Cawnpore." 

Three  or  four  natives,  as  they  approached  the  end  of 
the  lane,  stepped  forward  to  prevent  their  passage ;  but 
the  lads  threw  them  aside  with  the  impetus  of  their  rush, 
and  then,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  charged  the  crowd. 

Expecting  no  such  assault,  the  natives  fell  aside  from 
the  shock,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the  boys  stood  by  their 
countrymen.  There  were  six  in  all — sailors,  as  the  boj'3 
had  expected.  The  fight  had  evidently  been  a  sharp  one. 
T/our  or  five  natives  lay  upon  the  ground,  and  two  of  the 
sailors  were  bleeding  from  sword-cuts.  The  tars  gave  a 
cheer  at  the  sight  of  this  reinforcement,  especially  as  one 
of  the  newcomers  was  a  naval  officer — for  Dick  had 
bought  the  uniform  of  a  naval  officer  killed  in  the  fight 
of  the  1st. 

The  infuriated  crowd  drew  back  for  a  moment ;  bub 
seeing  that  the  reinforcement  consisted  only  of  two  lads, 
r.gain    attacked    fiercely.     The    boys    had    drawn    theii* 


IW  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  2'1:9 

swords,  and  for  a  minute  the  little  party  fought  back  to 
back.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  this  could  not  last, 
for  every  moment  added  to  the  number  of  their  foes,  the 
budmashes  flocking  down  from  every  quarter. 

"Now,  lads,"  Ned  shouted,  "get  yourselves  ready  and 
when  I  say  the  word  make  a  dash  all  together  for  that 
house  at  the  left  corner.  The  door  is  open.  Once  in 
there  we  can  hold  it  till  help  comes.  Press  them  a  bit 
first,  so  as  to  scatter  them  a  little,  and  then  for  a  rush. 
Are  you  all  ready?     Now!" 

"With  a  cheer  the  sailors  hurled  themselves  upon  the 
crowd  in  a  body.  The  surprise,  added  to  the  weight  and 
force  of  the  charge,  was  irresistible ;  the  natives  were  sent 
flying  like  ninepins,  and  before  the  enemy  quite  under- 
stood what  had  happened  the  whole  party  were  safe  in 
the  house,  and  the  door  slammed  to  and  bolted. 

"See  if  there  are  any  windows  they  can  get  in  at." 

The  men  ran  into  the  two  rooms  of  which,  on  tli-3 
ground  floor,  the  house  consisted;  but  the  windows  in 
these,  as  is  often  the  case  in  Indian  towns,  were  strongly 
barred.     There  was  a  furious  beating  at  the  door. 

"It  will  give  in  a  minute,"  Dick  said.  "Upstairs, 
lads;  we  can  hold  them  against  any  number." 

"It's  lucky  they  did  not  use  their  pistols,"  Ned  said, 
as  they  gathered  in  the  upper  room;  "we  should  have 
been  polished  off  in  no  time  had  they  done  so." 

"I  expect  they  made  sure  of  doing  for  us  with  their 
swords  and  knives,"  Dick  replied,  "and  did  not  like  to 
risk  calling  attention  by  the  sound  of  pistol-shots.  Now, 
lads,  how  did  you  get  into  this  row?" 

"Well,  your  honor,"  said  one  of  the  tars,  "we  were 
just  cruising  about  as  it  might  be,  when  we  got  down 
these  here  lanes  and  lost  our  bearings  altogether.  "Well, 
we  saw  we  had  fallen  among  land  pirates,  for  the  chaps 


ggO  22V  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

kept  closing  in  upon  us  as  if  they  wanted  to  board,  and 
fingering  those  long  knives  of  theirs.  Then  one  of  them  he 
gives  a  push  to  Bill  Jones,  and  Bill  gives  him  a  broadside 
'between  the  eyes,  and  floors  him.  Then  they  all  begins 
to  yell,  like  a  pack  o'  they  jackals  we  heard  coming  up 
country.  Then  they  drew  their  knives,  and  Bill  got  a 
slash  on  his  cheek.  So  we,  seeing  as  how  it  were  a  regu- 
lar case  of  an  engagement  all  along  the  line,  drew  our 
cutlasses  and  joins  action.  There  were  too  many  of 
them,  though,  and  we  were  nigh  carried  by  the  pirates, 
when  you  bore  up  alongside." 

At  this  moment  a  crash  was  heard  below ;  the  door  had 
yielded,  and  the  crowd  rushed  into  the  lower  part  of  the 
house.  "When  it  was  found  to  be  empty,  there  was  a 
little  delay.  No  one  cared  to  be  the  first  to  mount  the 
stairs  and  encounter  the  determined  band  above.  Dick 
stepped  forward  to  glance  at  the  state  of  things  below, 
when  half  a  dozen  pistol-shots  were  fired.  One  inflicted 
a  nasty  cut  on  his  cheek,  and  another  struck  him  on  the 
hand. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Dick?"  Ned  said,  as  his  brother  leaped 
back. 

"No;  nothing  to  speak  of;  but  it  was  a  close  shave. 
Perkins,  pick  up  my  sword,  will  you?  I  didn't  think  of 
their  firing." 

"Being  indoors,  they  are  not  afraid  of  the  pistols  being 
heard  any  distance,"  Ned  said.  "Keep  a  sharp  lookout, 
lads,  in  case  they  make  a  rush  upstairs,  while  I  tie  up  my 
brother's  hand  and  face." 

"They  are  coming,  sir,*'  the  sailors  cried,  as  the  housa 
shook  with  the  rush  of  a  body  of  men  up  the  stairs. 

"Stand  well  back,  lads,  and  cut  them  down  as  they 
enter  the  door." 

Pushed  from  behind,  five  or  six  of   the    enemy  burst 


•  nr  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  281 

simultaneously  into  the  room ;  but  ere  they  could  fire  a 
pistol,  or  even  put  themselves  into  an  attitude  of  defense, 
they  were  cut  down  or  run  through  the  body.  Then  a 
tremendous  crash  and  a  wild  cry  was  heard. 

"Hurrah!"  Dick  shouted;  "the  staircase  has  given 
way." 

Many  groans  and  shrieks  were  heard  below ;  then  thcra 
was  a  sound  of  persons  being  carried  out,  and  for  awhile 
quiet  below,  while  outside  the  hubbub  became  greater. 

"What  is  going  on  outside?"  Ned  said;  and  Dick  and 
he  peered  through  the  closed  jalousies  into  the  street. 

A  number  of  budmashes  were  bringing  bundles  of  bam- 
boos from  a  basket-maker's  shop  opposite;  some  of  the 
crowd  were  opposing  them. 

"They  are  going  to  fire  the  house,"  Dick  exclaimed. 
"The  people  opposing  are  the  neighbors,  no  doubt. 
They'll  do  it,  though,"  he  added,  as  the  fiercer  spirits 
drove  the  others  back.     "What's  best  to  be  done,  Ned'?" 

Ned  looked  round,  and  then  up. 

"Let  us  cut  through  the  bamboo  ceiling,  Dick;  there 
must  be  a  space  between  that  and  the  roof.  The  wall 
won't  be  thick  between  that  and  the  next  house,  and  we 
can  work  our  way  from  house  to  house;  and  if  the  flames 
gain — for  they  are  sure  to  spread — we  can  but  push  off 
the  tiles  and  take  to  the  roofs,  and  run  the  gauntlet  of 
their  pistols  and  muskets^  Their  blood's  up  now,  and 
they  will  shoot,  to  a  certainty.  Do  you  think  that  the 
best  plan?" 

"That's  it.  Now,  lads,  two  of  you  stand  close  to- 
gether ;  now,  Perkins,  you  jump  on  their  shoulders,  and 
cut  a  hole  through  the  bamboos  with  your  cutlass. 
Quick,  lads;  there's  no  time  to  lose;"  for  they  could 
hear  the  tramping  of  feet  below,  and  the  sound  as  tfea 
bundles  of  bamboo  were  thrown  down. 


282  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Now,  lads,"  Dick  went  on — for  as  a  naval  officer  h& 
was  naturally  in  command  of  the  men — "take  two  or 
three  of  those  rugs  on  that  couch  there,  and  knot  them 
together.  Shut  the  door  to  keep  the  smoke  out.  There, 
they've  lit  it!" — as  a  shout  of  pleasure  rose  from  below. 

The  bamboos  were  tough,  and  Perkins  would  not  use 
his  strength  to  advantage.  Smoke  curled  up  through 
the  crevices  of  the  floor,  and  all  watched  anxiously  the 
progress  made. 

"That's  big  enough,"  Dick  cried  at  last;  "we  have 
not  a  moment  to  lose,  the  flames  are  making  through  the 
floor.  Now,  Perkins,  climb  through  the  hole;  now, 
lads,  follow  in  turn. ' ' 

Four  of  the  sailors  were  rapidly  through  the  hole. 

"Now,  lads,  one  of  you  two;  don't  waste  time.  Now, 
Ned,  catch  hold  of  this  man's  legs  and  give  him  a  hoist; 
that's  right.  Now  drop  that  rope,  lad.  Now,  Ned,  I'm 
in  command;  go  on.  Now,  lads,  catch  this  bundle  of 
rugs;  that's  right.  Give  me  one  end.  There  we  are. 
Now  spread  one  of  those  rugs  over  the  hole,  to  keep  the 
smoke  out.     Now,  lads,  how  is  the  wall?" 

"Quite  soft,  your  honor;  we'll  be  through  in  a 
minute." 

In  accordance  with  orders,  those  first  up  had  begun  at 
once  with  their  cutlasses  to  pick  a  hole  through  the  mud 
wall  which  formed  the  partition  between  the  houses. 
Although  thicker  below,  the  divisions  between  what  may 
be  called  the  lofts  of  the  houses  were  made  but  of  a  single 
brick  of  unbaked  clay  or  mud,  and  as  Dick  clambered  up 
through  the  hole,  the  sailors  had  already  made  an  open- 
ing quite  large  enough  to  get  through.  All  crept 
through  it,  and  again  Dick  hung  a  rug  over  the  hole  to 
keep  out  the  smoke. 

"Now,    lads,    attack   the   next  wall    again;    but   don'li 


ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  283 

make  more  noise  about  it  than  you  can  help.  The  people 
below  will  be  removing  what  things  they  can  and  making 
a  row ;  still,  they  might  hear  us ;  and  it  is  as  well  they 
should  think  us  burned  in  the  house  where  we  were. 
But  you  must  look  sharp,  lads,  for  the  fire  spreads 
through  these  dried-up  houses  as  if  they  were  built  of 
straw. ' ' 

The  sailors  labored  hard,  and  they  worked  their  way 
from  house  to  house;  but  the  flames  followed  as  fast; 
and  at  last,  almost  choked  by  smoke  and  dust,  Dick  said : 

"Quick,  my  men,  knock  off  some  tiles  and  get  on  the 
roof,  or  we  shall  be  burned  like  rats  in  a  trap.  This 
side,  the  furthest  from  the  street." 

The  tiles  gave  way  readily ;  and  each  man  thrust  his 
head  out  through  the  hole  he  had  made  for  a  breath  of 
fresh  air.     In  a  minute  all  were  on  the  roof. 

"Crouch  down,  lads;  keep  on  this  side  of  the  roof; 
people  are  not  likely  to  be  looking  out  for  us  this  side, 
they  will  be  too  busy  moving  their  furniture.  Move  on, 
boys ;  the  fire  is  spreading  now  pretty  nearly  as  fast  as 
we  can  scramble  along." 

It  was  already  a  great  fire ;  down  both  the  lanes  at 
whose  junction  the  house  first  fired  stood  the  flames  had 
spread  rapidly,  and  leaping  across  the  narrow  streets  had 
seized  the  opposite  houses.  Already  fifty  or  sixty  houses 
were  in  a  blaze,  although  it  was  not  five  minutes  from 
the  beginning  of  the  fire. 

"There  is  a  cross  lane  about  ten  houses  ahead,  Dick," 
]>Ted  said. 

"We  will  stick  on  the  last  house  as  long  as  we  can, 
Ned,  and  then  slide  down  by  the  rope  on  to  that  out- 
house. They  are  too  busy  now  with  their  own  affairs  to 
think  about  us ;  besides,  they  suppose  we  are  dead  long 
&go,  and  the  fellows  who  are  at  the  head  of  it  will  have 


2,84'  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

made  off  to  look  after  their  own  houses,  for  the  wind  is 
blowing  fresh,  and  there  is  no  saying  how  far  the  fire 
may  spread.  Besides,  we  shall  have  our  fellows  up  in  a 
few  minutes.  Directly  the  fire  is  seen  they  are  sure  to 
be  sent  down  to  preserve  order." 

They  were  soon  gathered  on  the  roof  of  the  last  house 
in  the  lane,  and  three  minutes  later  were  driven  from  it 
by  the  flames.  One  by  one  they  scrambled  down  by  the 
aid  of  the  rope  on  to  the  outhouse,  and  thence  to  the 
ground.  Then  they  passed  through  the  house  into  the 
lane  beyond.  Looking  up  the  lane  it  was  an  arch  of  fire; 
the  flames  were  rushing  from  every  window  and  towering 
iap  above  every  roof,  almost  meeting  over  the  lane.  Upon 
the  other  hand,  all  was  wild  confusion  and  terror:  men 
were  throwing  out  of  upper  windows  bedding  and  arti- 
cles of  furniture;  women  laden  with  household  goods, 
and  with  children  in  their  arms,  and  others  hanging  to 
their  clothes,  were  making  their  way  through  the  crowd; 
bedridden  people  were  being  brought  out;  and  the 
screams,  shrieks,  and  shouts  mingled  with  the  roaring  of 
flames  and  the  crashes  of  falling  roofs.  As  in  great 
floods  in  India,  the  tiger  and  the  leopard,  the  cobra  and 
the  deer  may  all  be  seen  huddled  together  on  patches  of 
rising  ground,  their  mutual  enmity  forgotten  in  the  com- 
mon danger,  so  noone  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  the 
body  of  Englishmen  who  so  suddenly  joined  the  crowd. 

"Sheathe  your  cutlasses,  my  lads,"  Dick  said. 
"There's  no  more  fighting  to  be  done.  Lend  a  hand  to 
help  these  poor  wretches.  There,  two  of  you  take  up 
that  poor  old  creature;  they  have  carried  her  out  and 
then  left  her ;  take  her  on  till  you  find  some  open  space 
to  set  her  down  in.  Now,  Ned,  you  take  a  couple  of  men 
Mid  work  one  side  of  the  lane,  I  will  take  the  opposite 
ode  with  the  others.     Let  us  go  into  every  room  and  see 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  285 

no  sick  people  or  children  are  left  behind.  There, 
the  flames  have  passed  the  cross  lane  already ;  the  corner 
house  is  on  fire. ' ' 

For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  tars  labored  assiduously ; 
and  many  a  bedridden  old  woman,  or  a  forgotten  baby, 
did  they  bring  out.  Fortunately  at  the.  end  of  the  lane 
was  an  open  space  of  some  extent,  and  here  piles  of 
household  goods  and  helpless  people  were  gathered. 

At  the  end  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  heard  a  deep 
tramp,  and  the  naval  brigade,  led  by  Captain  Peel,  filed 
up  through  the  lane.  The  sailors  burst  into  a  cheer  as 
they  saw  their  friends  arrive,  and  these  responded  upon 
seeing  some  of  their  comrades  at  work  carrying  the  sick 
and  aged.  Dick  at  once  made  his  way  up  to  Captain 
Peel,  and  reported  briefly  that  the  fire  was  in  the  first 
place  lighted  with  the  purpose  of  burning  him  and  his 
party ;  but  that  they  had  escaped,  and  had  since  been  at 
work  helping  the  inhabitants. 

"Very  well,"  Captain  Peel  said.  "You  can  give  de- 
tails afterward ;  at  present  we  have  got  to  try  and  stop 
the  flames.     It  seems  a  large  block  of  fire." 

"It  is,  sir.  It  extends  across  several  lanes;  there  must 
be  a  couple  of  hundred  houses  in  flames,  and  I  fear,  from 
what  we  have  seen  in  the  lane  we  have  been  working  in, 
a  considerable  loss  of  life." 

"Mr.  Percival, "  Captain  Peel  said  to  one  of  his 
officers,  "take  your  company  and  knock  down  or  blowup 
all  the  houses  on  this  side  of  that  lane  there.  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson, you  take  No.  2  company  and  do  the  same  with 
the  lane  to  the  right.     The  rest  follow  me.     March!" 

In  five  minutes  all  the  tars  and  the  Highlanders — who 
arrived  on  the  ground  immediately  after  the  sailors — 
were  at  work  pulling  down  houses,  so  as  to  arrest  the 
progress  of  the  flames  by  isolating  the  burning  block. 


283  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Upon  three  sides  they  succeeded,  but  upon  the  other  tr>3 
fire,  driven  by  the  wind,  defied  all  their  efforts,  and 
swept  forward  for  half  a  mile,  until  it  burned  itself  out 
when  it  had  reached  the  open  country.  In  its  course  it 
had  swept  away  a  great  part  of  the  worst  and  most 
crowded  quarters  of  Cawnpore. 

All  through  the  evening  and  night  the  troops  and 
sailors  toiled,  and  morning  had  broken  before  all  dan- 
ger of  any  further  extension  was  over ;  the  men  were  then 
ordered  home,  a  fresh  body  of  troops  coming  up  to  pre- 
serve order  and  prevent  the  robbery,  by  the  lawless  part 
of  the  population,  of  the  goods  which  had  been  rescued 
from  the  flames.  Then,  after  a  ration  of  grog  had  been 
first  served  out  to  each  man,  and  breakfast  hastily  cooked 
and  eaten,  all  sought  their  tents,  exhausted  after  their 
labors. 

It  was  not  until  evening  that  signs  of  life  were  visible 
in  the  camp.  Then  men  began  to  move  about;  and  an 
orderly  presently  came  across  to  request  the  "Warren ers 
to  go  to  Captain  Peel's  quarters  to  report  the  circum- 
stances through  which  the  fire  arose. 

The  lads  related  the  history  of  the  affair  from  the  time 
when  they  had  come  upon  the  scene,  and  Captain  Peel 
expressed  himself  in  terms  of  warm  laudation  of  their 
gallantry,  quickness,  and  presence  of  mind.  Then  tho 
sailors  were  called  up,  and  their  story,  although  longer 
and  more  diffuse  than  that  told  by  the  Warreners,  was 
yet  substantially  the  same,  and  Captain  Peel  told  the 
men  they  ought  not  to  have  wandered  in  that  way  into 
the  slums  of  Cawnpore,  but  that  beyond  that  indiscretion 
they  had  acted,  as  reported  by  Mr.  Warrener,  with  great 
courage,  coolness,  and  good  discipline.  Then  the  War- 
reners went  back  to  their  tent,  and  had  to  go  through 
their  yarn  again  with  great  minuteness  and  detail. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  287 

"I  do  think,"  said  Rivers,  a  midshipman  of  some  two 
years  older  standing  than  Dick,  "that  your  are  the  lucki- 
est youngster  in  the  service.  It  is  not  one  fellow  in  a 
hundred  thousand  who  has  such  chances." 

"That  is  so,  Rivers,"  one  of  the  lieutenants  answered; 
"but  it  is  not  one  in  a  hundred  thousand  who,  having 
gone  through  such  adventures,  would  have  been  alive  to 
tell  them  at  the  end.  The  getting  into  these  scrapes  may 
be  luck,  but  the  getting  out  of  them  demands  courage, 
coolness,  and  quickness  of  invention  such  as  not  one  lad 
in  a  thousand  possesses.  Now,  Rivers,  tell  me  honestly 
whether  you  think  that  had  you  been  cut  off  as  he  was 
in  that  sortie  at  Lucknow,  you  would  ever  have  thought 
of  robbing  that  old  fakir  of  his  wig?" 

"No,"  Rivers  said;  "lam  quite  sure  it  would  neve? 
liave  occurred  to  me.  Yes,  as  you  say,  sir,  Dick  War- 
veiier  has  no  end  of  luck,  but  he  certainly  deserves  and 
makes  the  best  of  it.:' 


gpg  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL 


CHAPTER  XX, 

THE   BELIEF  OF   LUCKNOW. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  Captain  Peel  with  five  htm* 
clred  of  his  gallant  bluejackets  marched  from  Cawnpore, 
taking  with  them  the  heavy  siege  guns.  Three  days  late? 
they  joined  General  Grant's  column,  which  was  encamped 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  Alumbagh,  and  in  communi- 
cation with  the  force  holding  that  position.  On  the  9th 
Sir  Colin  Campbell,  who  had  come  out  from  England  with 
all  speed  to  assume  the  chief  command  in  India,  arrived 
in  camp,  and  his  coming  was  hailed  with  delight  by  tha 
troops,  who  felt  that  the  hour  was  now  at  hand  when  the 
noble  garrison  of  Lucknow  were  to  be  rescued. 

The  total  force  collected  for  the  relief  were — Her 
Majesty's  Eighth,  Eifty -third,  Seventy-fifth,  and  Ninety- 
third  Regiments  of  infantry;  two  regiments  of  Punjab 
infantry ;  and  a  small  party  of  native  sappers  and  miners. 
The  cavalry  consisted  of  the  Ninth  Lancers,  and  detach- 
ments of  Sikh  Cavalry  and  Hodgson's  Horse.  The  artil- 
lery comprised  Peel's  Naval  Brigade,  with  eight  heavy 
guns,  ten  guns  of  the  Royal  Horse  Artillery,  six  light 
field  guns,  and  a  heavy  battery  of  the  Royal  Artillery.  A 
total  of  about  twenty-seven  hundred  infantry  and  artil- 
lery, and  nine  hundred  cavalry. 

On  the  morning  of  the  10th,  Mr.  Kavanagh,  a  civilian, 
came  into  camp.  He  had,  disguised  as  a  native,  started 
the  evening  before  from  the    Residency   with  a  native 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  289 

graide,  named  Kunoujee  Lai,  had  swum  the  Gcomtee, 
recrossed  by  the  bridge  into  the  city,  passed  thixmgh  the 
streets,  and  finally  made  his  way  in  safety.  He  was  per- 
fectly acquainted  with  the  city ;  and  brought  plans  from 
Sir  James  Outram  for  the  guidance  of  the  commander-in- 
chief  in  his  advance. 

After  an  examination  of  the  plans,  Sir  Colin  Campbell 
determined  that,  instead  of  forcing  his  way  through  the 
narrow  streets  as  General  Havelock  had  done,  he  would 
move  partly  round  the  town,  and  attack  by  the  eastern 
Bide,  where  there  was  much  open  ground,  sprinkled  with 
palaces  and  mosques  and  other  large  buildings.  These 
could  be  attacked  and  taken  one  by  one,  by  a  series  of 
separate  sieges,  and  thus  the  Residency  could  be  ap- 
proached with  far  less  loss  than  must  have  taken  place  in 
an  attempt  to  force  a  way  through  the  crowded  city. 

On  the  15th  the  troops  marched  to  the  Alumbagh,  de- 
feating a  small  rebel  force  which  attempted  to  stop  their 
way. 

At  the  Alumbagh,  Dick  Warrener — for  Ned  was  with 
liis  regiment,  which,  to  his  great  disgust  had  remained 
at  Cawnpore — had  the  joy  of  meeting  his  father  again,  as 
Warrener's  Horse  had  not  shared  in  Havelock's  advance 
to  the  Residency,  but  had  remained  as  part  of  the  garri- 
son of  the  Alumbagh.  It  is  needless  to  tell  of  the  delight 
of  that  meeting  after  all  that  the  lads  had  gone  through 
since  they  parted  from  their  father,  nearly  four  months 
before  at  Cawnpore.  Colonel  Warrener  had  hear  of  the 
safe  arrival  of  his  sons  at  Delhi  before  he  marched  up 
from  Cawnpore,  but  since  then  no  word  had  reached  him. 
Captains  Dunlop  and  Manners  were  also  delighted  to  meet 
him  again,  and  the  whole  of  the  troop  vied  with  each 
other  in  the  heartiness  of  the  welcome  accorded  to  him. 
Disease  and  death  had  sadly  lessened  the  ranks,  and  of 


290  Of  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

the  one  bundled  men  who  had  volunteered  at  Meerut  to 
form  a  body  of  horse,  not  more  than  fifty  now  remained 
in  the  ranks.  It  was  very  late  at  night — or  rather,  early 
in  the  morning — before  the  party  assembled  in  LColonel 
Warrener's  tent  separated,  to  seek  a  few  hours'  sleep  be- 
fore the  reveille  sounded  for  the  troops  to  rise  and  pre- 
pare for  the  advance. 

Soon  after  daybreak  the  column  were  under  arms. 
The  Seventy -fifth  Kegiment,  to  its  intense  disappoint- 
ment, was  ordered  to  stay  and  guard  the  Alumbagh,  with 
its  immense  accumulation  of  stores  and  munitions;  and 
the  rest  of  the  troops,  turning  off  from  the  direct  road 
and  following  the  line  the  boys  had  traversed  when  they 
made  they  way  into  the  Eesidency,  marched  for  the  Dil 
Koosha,  a  hunting-palace  of  the  late  king  of  Oude. 

The  enemy,  who  had  anticipated  an  advance  by  the 
direct  line  taken  by  Havelock,  and  who  had  made  im- 
mense preparations  for  defence  in  that  quarter,  were 
taken  aback  by  the  movement  to  the  right,  and  no  op- 
position was  experienced  until  the  column  approached 
the  beautiful  park,  upon  an  elevated  spot  in  which  the 
Dil  Koosha  stood. 

Then  a  brisk  musketry  fire  was  opened  upon  them. 
The  head  of  the  column  was  extended  in  skirmishing  or- 
der, reinforcements  were  sent  up,  and  firing  heavily  as 
they  advanced,  the  British  drove  the  enemy  before  them, 
and  two  hours  after  the  first  shot  was  fired  were  in  pos- 
session of  the  palace.  The  enemy  fled  down  the  slope 
toward  the  city;  but  the  troops  pressed  forward,  and 
with  but  slight  loss,  carried  the  strong  position  of  the 
Martiniere  College,  and  drove  the  enemy  across  the  canal. 
By  this  time  the  enemy's  troops  from  the  other  side  of 
the  city  were  flocking  up,  and  prepared  to  recross  the 
canal  and  give  battle;  but  some  of  the  heavy  guns  were 


IW  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  j>91 

"brought  up  to  the  side  of  the  canal  and  the  rebels  made 
no  further  attempt  to  take  the  offensive. 

The  result  of  the  day's  fighting  more  than  answered 
the  commander-in-chief's  expectations,  for  not  only  had  a 
commanding  position,  from  which  the  whole  eastern 
suburb  could  be  cannonaded,  been  obtained,  but  a  large 
convoy  of  provisions  and  stores  had  been  safely  brought 
up,  and  a  new  base  of  operations  obtained. 

The  next  day,  the  15th  of  November,  is  celebrated  in 
the  annals  of  British  military  history  as  that  upon  which 
some  of  the  fiercest  and  bloodiest  fighting  which  ever 
took  place  in  India  occurred.  At  a  short  distance  be- 
yond the  canal  stood  the  Secunderbagh  (Alexander's  gar- 
den), a  building  of  strong  masonry,  standing  in  a  garden 
surrounded  by  a  very  high  and  strong  wall.  This  wall 
was  loopholed  for  musketry ;  the  gate,  which  led  through 
a  fortified  gateway,  had  been  blocked  with  great  piles  of 
stones  behind  it,  and  a  very  strong  garrison  held  it.  In 
front,  a  hundred  yards  distant,  was  a  fortified  village, 
also  held  in  great  force.  Separated  from  the  garden  of 
the  Secunderbagh  only  by  the  road  was  the  mosque  of 
Shah  Nujeeff.  This  building  was  also  situated  in  a  gar- 
den with  a  strong  loopholed  wall,  and  this.was  lined  with 
the  insurgent  troops;  while  the  terraced  'roof  of  the 
mosque,  and  the  four  minarets  which  rose  at  its  corners, 
were  crowded  with  riflemen. 

The  column  of  attack  was  commanded  by  Brigadier 
Hope ;  and  as  it  crossed  the  bridge  of  the  canal  and  ad- 
vanced, a  tremendous  musketry  fire  was  opened  upon  it 
from  the  village  which  formed  the  advance  post  of  the 
enemy.  The  column  broke  up  into  skirmishing  line  and 
advanced  steadily. 

"The  guns  to  the  front!"  said  an  aide-de-camp,  gallop* 
ing  up  to  the  naval  brigade. 


£92  I&  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

'With  a  cheer  the  sailors  moved  across  the  bridge,  fol- 
lowing the  Horse  Artillery,  which  dashed  ahead,  unlim- 
foered,  and  opened  fire  with  great  rapidity.  It  took 
somewhat  longer  to  bring  the  ponderous  sixty-eight- 
pounders  of  the  naval  brigade  into  action ;  but  their  deep 
roar  when  once  at  work  astonished  the  enemy,  who  had 
never  before  heard  guns  of  such  heavy  metal. 

The  rebels  fought  obstinately,  however,  but  Brigadier- 
General  Hope  led  his  troops  gallantly  forward,  and  after 
a  brief,  stern  fight,  the  enemy  gave  way  and  fied  to  tho 
Secunderbagh. 

The  guns  were  now  brought  forward,  and  their  fire 
directed  at  the  strong  wall.  The  heavy  cannon  soon 
made  a  breach,  and  the  assault  was  ordered.  The  Fourth 
Sikhs  had  been  directed  to  lead  the  attack,  while  the 
Ninety-third  Highlanders  and  detachments  from  the 
Fifty-third  and  other  regiments  were  to  cover  their  ad- 
vance, by  their  musketry  fire  at  the  loopholes  and  other 
points  from  which  the  enemy  were  firing. 

The  white  troops  were,  however,  too  impatient  to  be 
at  the  enemy  to  perform  the  patient  role  assigned  to 
them,  and  so  joined  the  Sikhs  in  their  charge.  The  rush 
was  so  fierce  and  rapid  that  a  number  of  men  pushed 
through  the  little  breach  before  the  enemy  had  mustered 
in  force  to  repel  them.  The  entrance  was,  however,  too 
email  for  the  impatient  troops,  and  a  number  of  them 
rushed  to  the  grated  windows  which  commanded  the 
gates.  Putting  their  caps  on  the  ends  of  the  muskets, 
they  raised  them  to  the  level  of  the  windows,  and  every 
Sepoy  at  the  post  discharged  his  musket  at  once.  Before 
they  could  load  again,  the  troops  leaped  up,  tore  down 
the  iron  bars,  and  burst  a  way  here  also  into  the  garden. 

Then  ensued  a  frightful  struggle;  two  thousand  Sepoys 
held  the   garden,  and  these,  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap, 


IW  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  293 

fought  with  the  energy  of  despair.  Nothing,  however, 
could  withstand  the  troops,  mad  with  the  long-balked 
thirst  for  vengeance,  and  attacked  with  the  cry — which 
in  very  truth  was  the  death -knell  of  the  enemy — "Re- 
member Cawnpore!"  on  their  lips.  No  quarter  was 
asked  or  given.  It  was  a  stubborn,  furious,  desperate 
strife,  man  to  man — desperate  Sepoy  against  furious 
Englishman.  But  in  such  a  strife  weight  and  power 
tell  their  tale,  and  not  one  of  the  two  thousand  men  who 
formed  the  garrison  escaped :  two  thousand  dead  bodies 
were  next  day  counted  within  the  four  walls  of  the  gar- 
den. 

The  battle  had  now  raged  for  three  hours,  but  there 
was  more  work  yet  to  be  done.  From  the  walls  and 
minarets  of  the  Shah  Nujeeff  a  terrible  fire  had  been 
poured  upon  the  troops  as  they  fought  their  way  into 
the  Secunderbagh,  and  the  word  was  given  to  take  this 
stronghold  also.  The  gate  had  been  blocked  up  with 
masonry.  Captain  Peel  was  ordered  to  take  up  the  sixty- 
eight-pounders  and  to  breach  the  wall.  Instead  of  halt- 
ing at  a  short  distance,  the  gallant  sailor  brought  up  his 
guns  to  within  ten  yards  of  the  wall,  and  set  to  work  as 
if  he  were  fighting  his  ship  broadside  to  broadside  with 
an  enemy.  It  was  an  action  probably  unexampled  in 
war.  Had  such  an  attack  been  made  unsupported  by 
infantry,  the  naval  brigade  would  have  been  annihilated 
hy  the  storm  of  fire  from  the  walls,  and  Dick  Warrener's 
career  would  have  come  to  a  close.  The  Highlanders  and 
their  comrades,  however,  opened  such  a  tremendous  fire 
upon  the  points  from  which  the  enemy  commanded  the 
battery,  and  at  every  loophole  in  the  wall,  that  the 
mutineers  could  only  keep  up  a  wild  and  very  ineffectual 
five  upon  the  gunners.  The  massive  walls  crumbled 
slowly  but  surely,  and  in  four  hours  several  gaps  were 
made. 


£94  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Then  the  guns  ceased  their  fire,  and  the  infantry  with 
a  wild  cheer  burst  into  the  garden  of  the  Shah  Nujeeff, 
and  filled  the  mosque  and  garden  with  the  corpses  of 
their  defenders.  The  los3  of  the  naval  brigade  in  thi3 
gallant  affair  was  not  heavy,  and  Dick  Warrener  escaped 
untouched. 

Evening  was  approaching  now,  and  the  troops  biv- 
ouacked for  the  night.  The  Ninetieth,  and  that  portion 
of  the  Fifty-third  not  engaged  in  the  assault  of  the 
Secunderbagh  and  Shah  Nujeeff,  were  now  to  have  their 
turn  as  leaders  of  the  attack. 

The  nest  point  to  be  carried  was  the  inesshouse,  a 
very  strong  position,  situated  on  an  eminence,  with 
flanking  towers,  a  loopholed  mud  wall,  and  a  ditch.  The 
naval  guns  began  the  fray,  and  the  heavy  shot  soon 
effected  a  breach  in  the  wall.  The  defenders  of  the  post 
were  annoyed,  too,  by  a  mortar  battery  in  an  advanced 
post  of  the  British  force  in  the  Residency — for  the  space 
between  the  garrison  and  the  relieving  force  was  rapidly 
lessening.  The  word  was  given,  and  the  Ninetieth,  Fifty- 
third  and  Sikhs  dashed  forward,  surmounted  all  obsta- 
cles, and  carried  the  position  with  the  bayonet;  and  the 
Observatory,  which  stood  behind  it,  was  soon  afterward 
most  gallantly  carried  by  a  Sikh  Regiment. 

In  the  meantime  the  garrison  of  the  Residency  was  not 
idle.  On  the  day  of  the  arrival  of  the  British  at  Dil 
I'loosha,  nag-signals  from  the  towers  of  that  palace  had 
established  communication  with  the  Residency,  and  it 
was  arranged  that  as  soon  as  the  relieving  forces  obtained 
possession  of  the  Secunderbagh  the  troops  of  the  garri- 
son should  begin  to  fight  their  way  to  meet  them. 

Delighted  at  taking  the  offensive  after  their  long  siege, 
Havelock's  troops  on  the  16th  attacked  the  enenry  with 
fury,  and  carried  two  strong  buildings  known  as  Hero 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  235 

Khana  and  engine-bouse,  and  then  dashed  on  through 
the  Chuttur  Munzil,  and  carried  all  before  them  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet. 

All  the  strongholds  of  the  enemy  along  this  line  had 
now  fallen;  and  on  the  17th  of  March  Sir  Colin  Camp- 
bell met  Generals  Outram  and  Havelock,  amid  the  tre- 
mendous cheers  of  British  troops,  which  for  awhile 
drowned  the  heavy  fire  which  the  enemy  were  still  keep- 
ing up. 

The  loss  of  the  relieving  column  during  the  operations 
was  far  less  than  that  which  had  befallen  Havelock 's 
force  in  its  advance — for  it  amounted  only  to  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  officers  and  men  killed,  and  three 
hundred  and  forty-five  wounded.  The  loss  of  the 
enemy  considerably  exceeded  four  thousand.  The  re- 
lieving force  did  not  advance  into  the  Residency,  but 
were  stationed  along  the  line  which  they  had  conquered 
between  the  Dil  Koosha  and  the  Residency,  for  the 
enemy  were  still  in  enormously  superior  force,  and 
threatened  to  cut  the  line  by  which  the  British  had  pene- 
trated. 

The  first  operation  was  to  pour  in  a  supply  of  luxuries 
from  the  stores  at  the  Dil  Koosha.  White  bread, 
oranges,  bananas,  wine,  tea,  sugar,  and  other  articles 
were  sent  forward;  and  these,  to  those  who  had  for  nearly 
six  months  existed  on  the  barest  and  coarsest  food,  were 
luxuries  indeed.  An  even  greater  pleasure  was  afforded 
by  sending  in  the  mails  which  had  accumulated,  and 
thus  affording  the  garrison  the  intense  delight  of  hearing 
of  those  loved  ones  at  home  from  whom  they  had  been  so 
long  cut  off. 

The  day  that  the  junction  was  made,  Dick  obtained 
leave  for  a  few  hours,  to  visit  his  friends  in  the  Resi- 
dency.    It  was   singular  to   the    lad   to  walk   leisurely 


g§0  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

fecross  the  open  space  of  the  Besidency  garden,  whero 
before  it  would  have  heen  death  to  show  one'sself  for  a 
minute,  and  to  look  about  rather  as  an  unconcerned 
spectator  than,  as  formerly,  with  nerves  on  strain  night 
and  day  to  repel  attack,  which,  if  successful,  meant  death 
to  every  soul  in  the  place. 

In  the  battered  walls,  the  shattered  roofs,  the  destruc-* 
iion  everywhere  visible,  he  saw  how  the  terrors  of  the 
siege  had  increased  after  he  had  left ;  and  in  view  of  the 
general  havoc  that  met  his  view,  Dick  was  astonished 
that  any  one  should  have  survived  the  long-continued 
bombardment.  In  some  respects  the  change  had  been 
favorable.  The  accession  of  strength  after  the  arrival  of 
General  Havelock's  force  had  enabled  great  and  beneficial 
alteration  to  be  made  in  the  internal  arrangements,  and 
the  extension  of  the  lines  held  had  also  aided  in  improv- 
ing the  sanitary  condition.  But  the  change  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  place  was  trifling  in  comparison  with  that 
in  the  faces  of  the  defenders.  These  were,  it  is  true, 
still  pinched  and  thin,  for  the  supply  of  food  had  been 
reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  the  rations  had  been  lowered 
almost  to  starvation  point.  But  in  place  of  the  expres- 
sion of  deep  anxiety  or  of  stern  determination  then 
marked  on  every  face,  all  now  looked  joyous  and  glad,  for 
the  end  to  the  terrible  trials  had  arrived. 

As  he  moved  along  .men  looked  at  the  midshipman 
curiously,  and  then,  as  the  lad  advanced  with  out- 
stretched hands,  greeted  him  with  cries  of  astonishment 
and  pleasure;  for  it  was  naturally  supposed  in  the  garri- 
son that  the  Warreners  had  fallen  in  the  sortie  on 
Johannes'  house.  Very  hearty  were  the  greetings  which 
Dick  received,  especially  from  those  whom  he  met  who 
had  fought  side  by  side  with  him  at  Gubbins'  house. 
3Ms   pleasure,    however,    was    greatly    dashed    by    tha 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  297 

aaswers  to  his  questions  respecting  friends.  "Dead/' 
''dead/'  "killed,"  were  the  replies  that  came  to  tha 
greater  part  of  the  inquiries  after  those  he  had  known, 
and  the  family  in  whom  he  was  chiefly  interested  had 
suffered  heavily.  Mr.  Hargreaves  was  killed ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ritchie  and  all  their  children  had  succumbed  to  the 
confinement  and  privation ;  but  Mrs.  Hargreaves  and  the 
girls  were* well.  After  briefly  telling  how  they  had  es- 
caped in  disguise,  after  having  been  cut  off  from  falling 
back  after  the  successful  sortie,  Dick  Warrener  hurried 
off  to  the  house  where  he  heard  that  his  friends  were 
quartered. 

It  was  outside  the  bounds  of  the  old  Residency,  for 
the  ground  held  had,  since  the  arrival  of  Havelock'a 
force,  been  considerably  extended,  and  the  ladies  had 
had  two  rooms  assigned  to  them  in  a  large  building. 
Dick  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  room,  and  the  ayah 
opened  it — looked  at  him — gave  a  scream,  and  ran  back 
into  the  room,  leaving  the  door  open.  Dick,  seeing  that 
it  was  a  sitting-room,  followed  her  in.  Mrs.  Hargi-eaves, 
alarmed  at  the  cry,  had  just  risen  from  her  chair,  and 
Nelly  and  Edith  ran  in  from  the  inner  room  as  Dick  en- 
tered.    A  general  cry  of  astonishment  broke  from  them. 

"Dick  Warrener!"  Mrs.  Hargreaves  exclaimed.  "Is 
it  possible  ?  My  dear  boy,  thank  God  I  see  you  again. 
And  your  brother?" 

"He  escaped  too,"  Dick  said. 

Mrs.  Hargreaves  took  him  in  her  arms  and  kissed  him, 
as  a  dear  relative  would  have  done;  for  during  the  month 
they  had  been  together  the  boys  had  become  very  dear 
to  her,  from  their  unvarying  readiness  to  aid  all  who 
required  it,  from  their  self-devotion,  and  their  bravery. 
Nor  were  the  girls  less  pleased,  and  they  warmly  em- 
braced the  young  sailor,  whom  they  had  come  to  look 


298  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

upon  as  if  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  family,  and  whom 
they  had  wept  as  dead. 

For  a  time  all  were  too  much  moved  to  speak  more 
than  a  few  disjointed  words,  for  the  sad  changes  which 
had  occurred  since  they  had  last  met  were  present  in  all 
their  thoughts.  Nelly,  the  youngest,  was  the  first  to 
recover,  and  wiping  away  her  tears,  she  said,  half  laugh- 
ing, half  crying : 

"I  hate  you,  Dick,  frightening  us  into  believing  that 
you  were  killed,  when  you  were  alive  and  well  all  the 
time.  But  I  never  quite  believed  it,  after  all.  I  said  all 
along  that  you  couldn't  have  been  killed;  didn't  I, 
mamma?  and  that  monkeys  always  got  out  of  scrapes 
somehow." 

Mrs.  Hargreaves  smiled. 

"I  don't  think  you  put  it  in  that  way  exactly,  Nelly; 
but  I  will  grant  that  between  your  fits  of  crying  you 
used  to  assert  over  and  over  again  that  you  did  not  be- 
lieve that  they  were  killed.  And  now,  my  dear  boy, 
tell  us  how  this  seeming  miracle  has  come  about." 

Then  they  sat  down  quietly,  and  Dick  told  the  whole 
story;  and  Mrs.  Hargreaves  warmly  congratulated  him 
on  the  manner  in  which  they  had  escaped,  and  upon  the 
presence  of  mind  they  had  shown.  Then  she  in  turn 
told  him  what  they  had  gone  through  and  suffered. 
Edith  burst  into  tears,  and  left  the  room ;  and  her  mother 
presently  went  after  her. 

"Well,  Nelly,  I  have  seen  a  lot  since  I  saw  you,  have  I 
not?" 

"Yes,  you  are  a  dear  brave  boy,  Dick,"  the  girl  said. 

"Even  though  I  am  a  monkey,  eh?"  Dick  answered. 
"And  did  you  really  cry  when  you  thought  I  was  dead?" 

"Yes,"  the  girl  said  demurely;  "I  always  cry  when  I 
lose  my  pets.  There  was  the  dearest  puppy  I  ever 
had " 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  229 

Dick  laughed  quietly.  "Who  is  the  monkey  now1?'9 
"he  asked. 

"I  am,"  she  said  frankly;  "but  you  know  I  can't  help 
teasing  you,  Dick." 

"Don't  balk  yourself,  Nelly;  I  like  it.  I  should  like 
to  be  teased  by  you  all  my  life, ' '  he  said,  in  lower  tones. 

The  girl  flushed  up  rosy  red.  "If  you  could  always 
remain  as  you  are  now,"  she  said,  after  a  little  pause, 
"just  an  impudent  midshipman,  I  should  not  mind  it. 
Do  you  know,  Dick,  they  give  terriers  gin  to  prevent 
their  growing;  don't  you  think  you  might  stop  yourself? 
It  is  quite  sad,"  she  went  on  pathetically,  "to  think  thai 
you  may  grow  up  into  a  great  lumbering  man." 

"I  am  quite  in  earnest,  Nelly,"  Dick  said,  looking 
preter naturally  stern. 

"Yes,"  Nelly  said,  "I  have  always  understood  mid- 
shipmen were  quite  in  earnest  when  they  talked  non- 
sense." 

"I  am  quite  in  earnest,"  Dick  said,  solemnly  and 
fixedly,  again. 

"No  really,  Dick,  we  are  too  old  for  that  game,"  Nelly 
said,  with  a  great  affectation  of  gravity.  "I  think  we 
could  enjoy  hide-and-seek  together,  or  even  blindman's 
buff;  but  you  know  children  never  play  at  being  littla 
lovers  after  they  are  quite  small.  I  remember  a  deai* 
little  boy,  he  used  to  wear  pinafores " 

Here  Mrs.  Hargreaves  again  entered  the  room,  and 
Dick,  jumping  up  suddenly,  said  that  it  was  quite  time 
for  him  to  be  off.  "I  shall  only  just  have  time  to  be 
back  by  the  time  I  promised." 

"Good-bjr,  Dick.     I  hope  to  see  you  again  to-morrow. " 

Edith  came  in,  and  there  was  a  hearty  shake  of  the 
hand  all  round,  except  that  Dick  only  touched  the  tips  of 
Kelly's  fingers  in  a  manner  which  he  imagined  betokened 


gOO  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

g  dignified  resentment,  although  as  he  looked  up  and 
saw  the  girl's  eyes  dancing  with  amusement,  he  could 
f-carcely  flatter  himself  that  it  had  produced  any  very 
serious  effect.  Dick  returned  in  an  indignant  mood  to 
the  naval  "brigade,  which  was  quartered  in  the  Shall 
Kujeeff's  mosque  and  gardens. 

"You  are  out  of  sorts  to-night,  Dick,"  one  of  hii 
"brother  midshipmen  said,  as  they  leaned  together  upon 
the  parapet  of  the  mosque,  looking  down  on  the  city; 
"is  anything  the  matter?" 

"Were  you  ever  in  love,  Harry?" 

"Lots  of  times,"  Harry  said  confidently. 

"And  could  you  always  persuade  them  that  you  were 
in  earnest?"  Dick  asked. 

Harry  meditated.  "Well,  I  am  not  quite  sure  about 
that,  Dick;  but  then,  you  see,  I  was  never  quite  sure 
myself  that  I  was  in  earnest,  and  that's  rather  a  draw- 
back,  you  know." 

"But  what  would  you  do,  Harry,  supposing  you  wera 
really  quite  in  earnest,  and  she  laughed  in  your  face  and 
told  you  you  were  a  boy?"  Dick  asked. 

"I  expect,"  the  midshipman  said,  laughing,  "I  should 
kiss  her  straight  off,  and  say  that  as  I  was  a  boy  sho 
couldn't  object." 

"Oh,  nonsense,"  Dick  said  testily;  "I  want  advice, 
and  you  talk  bosh ! ' ' 

The  midshipman  winked  confidentially  at  the  moon, 
there  being  no  one  else  to  wink  at,  and  then  said  gravely : 

"I  think,  Dick,  the  right  thing  to  do  would  be  to  pufc 
your  right  hand  on  your  heart,  and  hold  your  left  hand 
up,  with  the  forefinger  pointing  to  the  ceiling,  and  to 
gay,  'Madam,  I  leave  you  now.  When  years  have  rolled 
ever  our  heads  I  will  return,  and  prove  to  you  at  once  my 
affection  and  my  constancy.'  " 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  301 

Dick's  eyes  opened  to  their  widest,  and  it  was  not 
until  bis  friend  went  off  in  a  shout  of  laughter  that  he  was 
certain  that  he  was  being  chaffed ;  then,  with  an  excla- 
mation of  "Confound  you,  Harry!"  he  made  a  rush  at  his 
comrade,  who  dodged  his  attack,  and  darted  off,  closely 
pursued  by  Dick.  And  as  they  dashed  round  the  cupola 
and  down  the  stairs  their  light-hearted  laughter — for 
Dick  soon  joined  in  the  laugh  against  himself — rose  on 
the  evening  air ;  and  the  tars,  smoking  their  pipes  round 
the  bivouac  fires  below,  smiled  as  the  sound  came  faintly 
down  to  them,  and  remarked,  "Them  there  midshipmites 
me  larking,  just  as  if  they  were  up  in  the  maintop." 


$2  XZT  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A    SAD    PAETING. 

Sm  Colin  Campbell  had  considered  it  possible  thab 
the  enemy  would,  upon  finding  that  the  Residency  -was 
relieved,  and  the  prey,  of  whose  destruction  they  had  felt; 
so  sure,  slipped  from  between  their  fingers,  leave  the  city 
and  take  to  the  open,  in  which  case  he  would,  after  re- 
storing order,  have  left  a  strong  body  of  troops  in  the 
city,  and  have  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  rebels. 

It  soon  became  apparent,  however,  that  the  enemy  had 
no  intention  of  deserting  their  stronghold.  Lucknow 
abounded  with  palaces  and  mosques,  each  of  which  had 
been  turned  into  a  fortress,  while  every  street  was 
barricaded,  every  wall  loopholed.  As  from  forty  to 
fifty  thousand  men,  including  many  thousands  of  drilled 
soldiers,  stood  ready  to  defend  the  town,  foot  by  foot,  it 
was  clear  that  the  fighting  force  at  Sir  Colin  Campbell's 
command  was  utterly  inadequate  to  attempt  so  serious  an 
operation  as  the  reduction  of  the  whole  city.  To  leave  a 
portion  of  the  force  would  only  have  submitted  them  to 
another  siege,  with  the  necessity  for  another  advance 
to  their  relief.  The  commander-in-chief  therefore  deter- 
mined to  evacuate  the  Residency  and  city  altogether,  to 
carry  off  the  entire  garrison,  and  to  leave  Lueknow  to 
itself  until  the  reinforcements  from  England  should  ar- 
rive, and  he  should  be  able  to  undertake  the  subjugation 
of  the  city  with  a  force  adequate  for  the  purpose. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL,  303 

r. 

']  His  intention  was  kept  a  secret  until  the  last  moment, 
lest  the  news  might  reach  the  enemy,  who,  from  the  bat- 
teries in  their  possession,  could  have  kept  up  a  terrible 
fire  upon  the  road  along  which  the  women  and  children 
would  have  to  pass,  and  who  would  have  attacked  with 
such  fury  along  the  whole  line  to  be  traversed  that  it 
would  have  been  next  to  impossible  to  draw  off  the  troops. 

In  order  to  deceive  the  enemy  guns  were  placed  in 
position  to  play  upon  the  town,  and  a  heavy  fire  was 
opened  against  the  Kaiserbagh,  or  King's  Palace,  a  for- 
tress of  great  strength.  In  the  meantime  preparations 
for  retreat  were  quietly  carried  on.  Bullock  hackeries 
were  prepared  for  the  carriage  of  the  ladies  and  children ; 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  23d  of  November  the  occu- 
pants of  the  Eesidency  were  informed  that  they  must  pre- 
pare to  leave  that  afternoon,  and  that  no  luggage  beyond 
a  few  personal  necessaries  could  be  carried. 

The  order  awakened  mingled  ^emotions — there  was 
gladness  at  the  thought  of  Reaving  a  place  where  all  had 
suffered  so  much,  and  round  which  so  many  sad  memories 
i were  centered;  there  was  regret  in  surrendering  to  the 
foe  a  post  which  had  been  so  nobly  defended  for  so  many 
months.  Among  many,  too,  there  was  some  dismay  at 
the  thought  of  giving  up  all  their  movable  possessions  to 
the  enemy.  One  small  trunk  was  all  that  was  allowed  to 
each,  and  as  each  tried  to  put  together  the  most  valuable 
of  his  or  her  belongings,  the  whole  of  the  buildings 
occupied  were  littered,  from  end  to  end,  with  handsome 
dresses,  silver  plate,  mirrors,  clocks,  furniture  and  effects 
of  all  kinds.  A  short  ^time  since  every  one  would  have 
gladly  resigned  all  that  they  possessed  for  life  and 
liberty ;  but  now  that  both  were  assured,  it  was  felt  to 
be  hard  to  give  up  everything. 

Dick  went  in  to  Mrs.  Hargreaves'  to  see  if  he  could  ba 


g-04 '  W  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

of  any  service,  but  there  was  comparatively  little  to  do, 
iov  that  lady  had  lost  all  her  portable  property  in  the 
destruction  of  the  bungalow  on  the  estate  owned  by  her 
husband,  and  had  come  into  Lucknow  shortly  before  the 
outbreak,  when  the  cloud  began  to  lower  heavily,  with 
but  a  small  amount  of  baggage.  Dick  had  not  been  able 
to  see  them  since  his  first  visit,  being  incessantly  on 
duty. 

"I  was  so  sorry  I  could  not  come  up  before,"  he  ex- 
plained; "but  each  of  the  officers  has  been  up  to  have  a 
look  at  the  Kesidency ;  and  as  we  may  be  attacked  at  any 
moment,  Captain  Peel  expects  them  all  to  be  on  the  spot 
with  their  men." 

"Shall  we  get  away  without  being  fired  at?"  Nelly 
asked. 

"I  am  afraid  you  will  have  to  run  the  gauntlet  in  one 
or  two  places,"  Dick  said.  "The  enemy  keep  up  an 
almost  incessant  fire ;  and  although,  we  must  hope,  they 
will  not  have  an  idea  that  any  number  of  people  are  pass- 
ing along  the  road,  and  their  fire  will  therefore  be  only 
a  random  one,  it  may  be  a  little  unpleasant ;  but  you  are 
all  accustomed  to  that  now.  I  must  be  off  again,  Mrs. 
Hargreaves ;  I  really  only  came  to  explain  why  I  did  not 
come  yesterday,  and  only  got  leave  for  an  hour,  so  I  have 
come  at  a  trot  all  the  way. ' ' 

And  so  Dick  made  off  again ;  and  as  he  shook  hands 
with  them,  he  could  feel  that  Nelly  had  not  yet  forgiven 
the  coldness  of  his  last  good-by. 

Upon  the  previous  day  all  the  sick  and  wounded  had 
been  moved  to  the  Dil  Koosha ;  that  done,  the  very  largo 
amount  of  money,  amounting  to  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
million,  in  the  government  treasury,  was  removed,  to- 
gether with  such  stores  as  were  required.  Then  the 
guns  were  silently  withdrawn  from  the  batteries,  and  a's 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  S05 

half-past  four  in  the  afternoon  the  emigration  of  the 
woraen  and  children  commenced.  All  had  to  walk  to  tho 
Secunderbagh,  along  a  road  strewn  with  debris,  and 
ankle  deep  in  sand,  and  in  some  places  exposed  to  a 
heavy  fire.  At  one  of  these  points  a  strong  party  of  sea- 
men were  stationed,  among  whom  Dick  was  on  duty.  As 
each  party  of  women  arrived  at  the  spot,  they  were  ad- 
vised to  stoop  low,  and  to  run  across  at  full  speed,  as, 
the  road  being  a  little  sunk,  they  thus  escaped  observa- 
tion by  the  enemy,  whose  battery  was  at  some  little  dis- 
tance, but  the  grape  whistled  thickly  overhead,  and 
several  were  wounded  as  they  passed. 

Dick  had  been  on  the  lookout  for  the  Hargreaves 
party,  and  came  forward  and  had  a  talk  with  them  before 
they  started  across  the  open  spot.  He  had  quite  re- 
covered from  Nelly's  attack  upon  his  dignity  as  a  man 
and  a  naval  officer,  and  the  pair  as  usual  had  a  wordy 
spar.  Dick  was,  however,  rather  serious  at  the  prospect 
cf  the  danger  they  were  about  to  run. 
,i  "Will  you  let  me  cross  with  you  one  at  a  time?"  ha 
asked. 

"Certainly  not,  Dick, "  Mrs.  Hargreaves  said.  "You 
could  do  us  no  good,  and  would  run  a  silly  risk  yourself. 
How,  girls,  are  you  ready?" 

"Stoop  low,  for  Heaven's  sake!"  Dick  urged. 

Mrs.  Hargreaves  started  at  a  run,  accompanied  by 
Alice.  Nelly  was  a  little  behind.  Dick  took  her  hand 
and  ran  across,  keeping  between  her  and  the  enemy. 

"Down  low!"  he  cried,  as,  when  they  were  half  across, 
a  heavy  gun  fired.  As  he  spoke  he  threw  his  arms  round 
Nelly,  and  pulled  her  to  the  ground.  As  he  did  so,  a 
storm  of  grape  swept  just  above  them,  striking  the  wall 
and  sending  a  shower  of  earth  over  them.  Another  hall- 
minute  and  they  were  across  on  the  other  side. 


g(>6  W  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Good-by,"  he  said  to  them  all;  "you  are  over  tba 
worst  now. ' ' 

"Good-by,  my  dear  boy.  Mind  how  you  cross  again. 
God  bless  you."  And  Mrs.  Hargreaves  and  Alice  shook 
his  hand  and  turned  to  go.  Nelly  held  hers  out  to  him. 
He  took  it  and  clasped  ,it  warmly ;  he  was  loosening  his 
hold  when  the  girl  said :  "You  have  saved  my  life,  Dick. " 

"Oh,  nonsense,"  he  said. 

"You  did,  sir,  and — yes,  I  am  coming,  mamma" — in 
answer  to  a  word  from  her  mother.  "Oh,  how  stupid 
you  are,  Dick!"  she  cried,  with  a  little  stamp  of  her 
foot;  "don't  you  want  to  kiss  me?" 

"Of  course  I  do,"  Dick  said. 

"Then  why  on  earth  don't  you  do  it,  sir? — There,  that 
is  enough.  God  bless  you,  dear  Dick;"  and  Nelly 
darted  off  to  join  her  mother. 

Then  he  returned  to  his  post  and  the  ladies  went  on  to 
the  Secunderbagh.  Here  a  long  halt  was  entailed,  until 
all  were  gathered  there,  in  order  that  they  might  be  es- 
corted by  a  strong  guard  on  to  the  Dil  Koosha.  Then 
came  an  anxious  journey — some  in  bullock-carts,  some  in 
doolies,  some  on  foot.  The  Hargreaves  walked,  for  the 
anxiety  was  less  when  moving  on  foot  than  if  shut  up  in 
a  conveyance.  Several  times  there  were  long  halts  in 
expectation  of  attack ;  and  a  report  that  a  great  move- 
ment could  be  heard  among  the  enemy  at  one  time 
delayed  them  until  reinforcements  could  be  sent  for  and 
arrived.  But  about  midnight  all  reached  the  Dil  Koosha, 
where  a  number  of  tents  had  been  erected,  and  refresh- 
ments prepared  for  the  many  fugitives. 

Later  on  the  troops  came  tramping  in,  having  gradu- 
ally, and  in  regular  order,  evacuated  their  posts,  leaving 
their  fires  burning,  and  moving  in  absolute  silence,  so 
that  it  was  not  until  next  morning  that  the  enemy  awoka 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  30lf 

to  the  knowledge  that  the  Kesidency  was  deserted,  and 
that  their  expected  prey  had  safely  escaped  them. 

The  next  day  was  spent  quietly,  all  enjoying  intensely 
the  open  air,  the  relief  from  the  long  pressure,  and  the 
good  food,  wine,  and  other  comforts  now  at  their  dis- 
posal. Dick  brought  Colonel  Warrener  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  his  friends,  and  a  pleasant  afternoon  was 
spent  together.  On  the  25th  a  heavy  gloom  fell  upon 
all,  for  on  that  day  the  gallant  General  Havelock,  worn 
out  by  his  labors  and  anxieties,  was  seized  with  dysen- 
tery, and  in  a  few  hours  breathed  his  last.  He  was  a 
good  man  as  well  as  a  gallant  soldier,  and  his  death  just 
at  the  moment  when  the  safety  of  those  for  whom  he  had 
done  so  much  was  assured  cast  a  gloom  not  only  over  his 
comrades,  and  those  who  had  fought  under  him,  but  on 
the  whole  British  nation.  All  that  day  the  great  convoy 
had  been  on  the  move  between  the  Dil  Koosha  and  the 
Alumbagh.  Half  the  fighting  force  served  as  an  escort, 
the  other  half  stood  in  battle  order  between  them  and 
Lucknow,  in  case  the  enemy  should  come  out  to  the 
attack.  The  whole  road  between  the  two  stations  was 
throughout  the  day  covered  by  a  continuous  stream  of 
bullock-carts,  palanquins,  carts,  camels,  elephants,  guns, 
ammunition  carts,  and  store  wagons. 

Mrs.  Har greaves  and  her  daughters  were  on  an  ele- 
phant, with  their  ayah ;  and  as  the  Warreners  had  placed 
in  the  howdah  a  basket  of  refreshments,  the  long  weary 
march  was  borne,  not  only  without  inconvenience,  but 
with  some  pleasure  at  the  novelty  of  the  scene  and  the 
delight  of  air  and  freedom. 

Sir  Colin  Campbell  had  intended  to  allow  a  halt  of 
seven  days  at  the  Alumbagh,  but  on  the  27th  of  May  a 
continuous  firing  was-  heard  in  the  direction  of  Cawnpore. 
Fearful  for  the  safety  of  that  all-important  post,  the  coin- 


308  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

mander  determined  to  push  forward  his  convoy  at  onca. 
On  the  morning  of  the  28th  they  started.  Dick  had 
come  soon  after  daybreak  to  the  tents  where  the  Har- 
grfeaves  were,  with  many  others,  sleeping. 

''There  is  bad  news  from  Cawnpore, "  he  said,  "and 
you  will  have  to  push  on.  I  expect  that  it  will  be  a  ter- 
lible  two  days'  march  with  all  this  convoy.  Pray  take 
enough  provisions  with  you  for  the  two  days  in  tha 
howdah,  and  some  blankets  and  things  to  make  a  coyer 
at  night.  I  am  sure  that  the  tents  will  not  be  got  up, 
and  the  confusion  at  the  halting-place  will  be  fearful; 
but  if  you  have  everything  with  you,  you  will  be  able  to 
manage." 

It  was  well  that  they  were  so  prepared,  for  the  first 
march,  owing  to  the  immense  length  of  the  convoy, 
lasted  until  long  past  dark ;  then  there  was  a  halt  for  a 
few  hours,  and  then  a  thirty-miles'  journey  to  the  bridge 
of  boats  on  the  Ganges. 

The  naval  brigade  accompanied  the  convoy,  but  Dick 
had  seen  nothing  of  his  friends.  Colonel  "Warrener., 
however,  who  with  his  troop  had  moved  along  the  line  at 
intervals,  spoke  to  them,  and  was  able  at  the  halting- 
place  to  assist  them  to  make  a  temporary  shelter,  where 
they  snatched  a  few  hours'  sleep. 

The  news  that  had  caused  this  movement  was  bad 
indeed.  General  Wyndham,  in  command  at  Cawnpore, 
had  been  defeated  by  the  Gwalior  rebel  contingent,  aided 
hy  the  troops  of  Nana  Sahib  and  those  of  Koer  Sing,  a 
great  Oude  chief,  and  part  of  the  town  had  been  taken. 
Sir  Colin  himself  pushed  forward  at  all  speed  with  a  small 
body  of  troops  and  some  heaA'y  guns,  so  as  to  secure  tin 
safety  of  the  bridge  of  boats ;  for  had  this  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy  the  situation  of  the  great  convoy 
Would  have  been  bad  indeed.     However,  the  rebels  had 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  309 

neglected  to  take  measures  until  it  was  too  late,  and  the 
approaches  to  the  bridge  on  either  side  were  guarded  by 
our  guns.  The  passage  of  the  convoy  then  began,  and 
for  thirty -nine  hours  a  continuous  stream  passed  across 
the  river. 

The  whole  force  which  had  accomplished  the  relief  of 
Lucknow  had  not  returned,  as  it  was  considered  neces- 
sary to  keep  some  troops  to  command  the  town,  and  pre- 
vent the  great  body  of  mutineers  gathered  there  from 
undertaking  expeditions.  The  Alumbagh  was  accord- 
ingly held  by  the  Fifth,  Seventy-eighth,  Eighty -fourth, 
and  Ninetieth  Foot,  the  Madras  Fusiliers,  the  Ferozepore 
Sikhs,  and  a  strong  artillery  force,  the  whole  under  the 
command  of  Sir  James  Outram. 

As  the  long  day  went  on,  and  the  thunder  of  the  guns 
at  Cawnpore  grew  louder  and  louder,  Sir  Colin  Campbell 
took  the  naval  brigade  and  the  greater  portion  of  the 
fighting  troops  and  pushed  forward.  The  regiments  as 
they  arrived  were  hurried  across  the  bridge,  to  take  part 
in  the  defense  of  the  position  guarding  the  bridge,  where 
General  Wyndham's  troops  were  defending  themselves 
desperately  against  immense  forces  of  the  enemy. 

"What  has  happened?"  was  the  question  the  officers 
of  the  naval  brigade  asked  those  of  the  garrison  when 
they  first  met. 

"Oh,  we  have  been  fearfully  licked.  A  series  of  blun- 
ders and  mismanagement.  We  have  lost  all  the  camp 
equipage,  all  the  stores — in  fact,  everything.  It  is  the 
most  disgracefull  thing  which  has  happened  since  the 
trouble  began.  We  lost  heavily  yesterday,  frightfully 
to-day.     They  say  the  Sixty-fourth  is  cut  to  pieces." 

It  had  indeed  been  a  wretched  business,  and  was  the 
only  occasion  when  British  troops  were,  in  any  force, 
defeated  throughout  the  mutiny.     The  affair  happened 


810  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

in   this   way.       The   British    force    at    Cawnpore    wei'O 
stationed  in  an  intrenched  position,  so  placed  as  to  over- 
awe the  city,  and  to  command  the  river  and  bridge  of 
boats,   which  it  was  all-important  to  keep   open.     The 
general  in  command  received  news  that  the  mutinous 
Gwalior  contingent,  with  several  other  rebel  bodies,  was 
on   its   way   to    Cawnpore.      Unfortunately,    they    were 
approaching  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  city  to  that  upon 
which  the  British  intrenchments  were  situated,  and  the 
general  therefore  determined  to  leave  a  portion  of  his 
force  to  protect  the  intrenchments  and  bridge,  while  with 
the  rest  he  started  to  give  battle  to  the  enemy  in  the 
open  at  a  distance  on  the  other  side  of  the  city,  as  it  was 
very  important  to  prevent  Cawnpore  from  again  falling 
into  their  hands.      He  advanced  first  to  Dhubarlee,   a 
strong  position  on  the  canal,  where  a  vigorous  defense 
could  have  been  made,  as  a  cross  canal  covered  our  flank. 
Unfortunately,  however,  the  next  day  he  again  marched 
forward  eight  miles,  and   met  the  advanced  guard  of  the 
enemy  at  Bhowree.     The  British  force  consisted  of  twelve 
hundred  infantry  made  up  of  portions  of  the  Thirty- 
fourth,  Eighty-second,   Eighty-eighth,    and  Bines,   with 
one  hundred  native  cavalry,  and  eight  guns.      The  troops 
advanced  with  a  rush,  carried  the  village,  defeated  the 
enemy,  and  took  two  guns,  and  then  pressing  forward, 
found  themselves  in  face  of  the  main  body  of  the  enemy's 
army.     Then  for  the  first  time  it  appears  to  have  occurred 
to  the  general  that  it  was  imprudent  to  fight  so  far  from 
the  city.     He  therefore  ordered  a  retreat,  and  the  British 
force  fell  back,  closely  followed  by  the  enemy.     Had  he 
baited  again  at  Dhubarlee,  he  might  still  have  retrieved 
his  error;  but  he  continued  his  retreat,  and  halted  for 
the  night  on  the  plain  of  Jewar,  a  short   distance  from 
the  northeast  angle  of  the  city. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  SIS, 

Ho  preparations  appear  to  have  been  made  in  case  of 
an  attack  by  the  enemy,  and  when  in  the  morning  they 
came  on  in  immense  force,  the  British  position  was  seri- 
ously threatened  on  all  sides.  For  five  hours  the  troops 
held  their  ground  nobly,  and  prevented  the  enemy  ad- 
vancing by  a  direct  attack.  A  large  body,  however, 
moved  round  to  the  flank  and  entered  the  city,  thus  get- 
ting between  the  British  forces  and  their  intrenchments. 
The  order  was  therefore  given  to  retire,  and  this  was 
carried  out  in  such  haste  that  the  whole  of  the  camp 
equipage,  consisting  of  five  hundred  tents,  quantities  of 
saddlery,  uniforms  for  eight  regiments,  and  a  vast 
amount  of  valuable  property  of  all  kinds,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  mutineers.  All  these  stores  had  been  placed 
in  a  great  camp  on  the  plain  outside  the  fortified  intrench- 
ments. It  was  a  disastrous  affair ;  and  Cawnpore  blazed 
with  great  fires,  lighted  by  the  triumphant  mutineers. 

During  the  retreat  a  gun  had  been  capsized,  and  left  in 
one  of  the  lanes  of  the  town,  and  at  dead  of  night  one 
hundred  men  of  the  Sixty -fourth,  accompanied  by  a  de- 
tachment of  sailors,  went  silently  out  and  succeeded  in 
righting  the  gun,  and  bringing  it  off  from  the  very  heart 
of  the  city. 

The  next  day  the  whole  force  moved  out,  and  took  up 
their  position  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  approaching 
the  intrenchments.  The  mutineers,  commanded  by  Nana 
Sahib  in  person,  advanced  to  the  attack.  One  British 
column  remained  in  reserve.  The  column  under  Colonel 
Walpole  succeeded  in  repulsing  the  body  opposed  to  it, 
and  captured  two  of  its  eighteen-pounder  guns.  The 
column  under  General  Carthew  maintained  its  position 
throughout  the  day,  but  fell  back  toward  the  evening — ■ 
a  proceeding  for  which  the  officer  in  command  was 
severely  censured  by  the  commander-in-chief,  who,  rid- 


312  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

ing  on  ahead  of  his  convoy  with  a  small  body  of  troops, 
reached  the  scene  of  action  just  at  nightfall. 

But  it  was  the  division  under  Brigadier-General  Wil- 
son, colonel  of  the  Sixty-fourth,  that  suffered  most 
heavily.  Seeing  that  General  Carthew  was  hardly 
pressed,  he  led  a  part  of  his  own  regiment  against  four 
guns  which  were  playing  with  great  effect.  Ned  War- 
rener's  heart  beat  high  as  the  order  to  charge  was  given, 
for  it  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  in  action  with  his 
gallant  regiment.  With  a  cheer  the  little  body,  who 
numbered  fourteen  officers  and  one  hundred  and  sixty 
men,  advanced.  Their  way  led  along  a  ravine  nearly 
half  a  mile  long;  and  as  they  moved  forward  a  storm  of 
shot,  shell  and  grape  from  the  guns  was  poured  upon 
them,  while  a  heavy  musketry  fire  broke  out  from  the 
heights  on  either  side.  Fast  the  men  fell,  but  thexe  was 
no  wavering ;  on  at  the  double  they  went,  until  within 
fifty  yards  of  the  guns,  and  then  burst  into  a  charge  at 
full  speed.  Ned,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  fire,  had  yet 
felt  bewildered  at  the  iron  storm  which  had  swept  thq|r 
ranks.  All  round  him  men  were  falling ;  a  bullet  knocked 
off  his  cap,  and  a  grape-shot  smashed  his  sword  off  short 
in  his  hand.  The  Sepoy  artillerymen  stood  to  their  guns 
and  fought  fiercely  as  the  British  rushed  upon  them. 
Ned  caught  up  the  musket  of  a  man  who  fell  dead  by  his 
side,  and  bayoneted  a  gunner;  he  saw  another  man  at 
four  paces  off  level  a  rifle  at  him,  felt  a  stunning  blow, 
and  fell,  but  was  up  in  a  minute  again,  having  been 
knocked  down  by  a  brick  hurled  by  some  Sepoy  from  a 
dwelling  close  behind  the  guns — a  blow  which  probably 
saved  his  life.  Two  of  the  guns  were  spiked  while  the 
hand-to-hand  conflict  raged. 

Major  Stirling  fell  dead,  Captain  Murphy  and  Captain 
Macraw  died  fighting  nobly  beside  him,  and  the  gallant 


ZZV  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  813 

Colonel  Wilson  received  three  bullets  through  his  body, 
jUrom  all  sides  masses  of  the  enemy  charged  down,  and  a 
regiment  of  Sepoy  cavalry  swept  upon  them.  Captain 
Sanders  was  now  in  command,  and  gave  the  word  to  fall 
back;  and  even  faster  than  they  had  approached,  the 
survivors  of  the  Sixty -fourth  retreated,  literally  cutting 
their  way  through  the  crowds  of  Sepoys  which  sur- 
rounded them. 

Ned  was  scarcely  conscious  of  what  he  was  doing; 
and  few  could  have  given  a  detailed  account  of  the  events 
of  that  most  gallant  charge.  The  men  kept  well  together ; 
old  veterans  in  fight,  they  knew  that  only  in  close  ranks 
could  they  hope  to  burst  through  the  enemy ;  and  strik- 
ing, and  stabbing,  and  always  running,  they  at  last  re- 
gained the  position  they  had  quitted.  Of  the  fourteen 
officers,  seven  were  killed  and  two  wounded;  of  the  one 
hundred  and  sixty  men,  eighteen  killed  and  fifteen 
wounded ;  a  strikng  testimony  to  the  valor  with  which 
the  officers  had  led  the  way.  Such  slaughter  as  this  among 
the  officers  is  almost  without  parallel  in  the  records  of  the 
British  army ;  and  lads  who  went  into  the  fray  low  down 
on  the  list  of  lieutenants,  came  out  captains.  Among 
them  was  Ned  Warren er,  who  stood  fifth  on  the  list  of 
lieutenants,  and  who,  by  the  death  vacancies,  now  found 
himself  a  captain. 

It  was  not  until  they  halted,  breathless  and  exhausted, 
that  he  discovered  that  he  had  been  twice  wounded ;  for 
in  the  wild  excitement  of  the  fight  he  had  been  uncon- 
scious of  pain.  A  bullet  had  passed  through  the  fleshy 
part  of  his  left  arm,  while  another  had  cut  a  clean  gash 
just  across  his  hip.  Neither  was  in  any  way  serious ;  and 
having  had  them  bound  up  with  a  handkerchief,  he  re- 
mained with  his  regiment  till  nightfall  put  an  end  to  the 
fighting,  when  he  made  his  way  to  the  hospital.     This 


314  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

was  crowded  with  badly-wounded  men ;  and  Ned,  seeing 
the  pressure  upon  the  surgeons,  obtained  a  couj)le  of 
bandages  and  went  back  to  his  regiment  to  hare  them  put 
on  there.     As  he  reached  his  camp  Dick  sprang  forward. 

"My  dear  old  boy,  I  was  just  hunting  for  you.  We 
crossed  to-night,  and  directly  we  were  dismissed  I  rushed 
off,  hearing  that  your  regiment  has  suffered  frightfully. 
I  hear  you  are  hit;  but,  thank  God!  only  slightly." 

"Very  slightly,  old  boy;  nothing  worth  talking  about, 
It  has  been  an  awful  business,  though.  And  how  are 
you?  and  how  is  father?" 

"Quite  well,  Ned.     Not  a  scratch,  either  of  us." 

"And  the  Hargreaves?" 

"Mrs.  Hargreaves  and  the  girls  are  all  right,  Ned,  and 
will  be  in  to-rcto.rrow ;  all  the  rest  are  gone. ' ' 

"Gone!  dear,  dear!  lam  sorry.  Now,  Dick,  come  to 
the  fire  and  bandage  up  my  arm ;  and  you  must  congratu- 
late me,  old  boy,  for  by  the  slaughter  to-day  I  have  my 
company." 

"Hurrah!"  Dick  exclaimed  joyfully.  "That  is  good 
news.     What  luck!  not  eighteen  yet  and  a  captain. " 

It  was  only  on  the  1st  of  December  that  the  whole  of 
the  convoy  from  Lucknow  were  gathered  in  tents  on  the 
parade  ground  at  Cawnpore,  and  all  hoped  for  a  short 
period  of  rest. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d,  however,  notice  was  issued 
that  in  two  hours  the  women,  children  and  civilians  of 
Lucknow  would  proceed  to  Allahabad,  under  escort  of 
five  hundred  men  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Regiment.  It 
would  be  a  long  march,  for  the  convoy  would  be  incum- 
bered by  the  enormous  train  of  stores  and  munitions  of 
war,  while  a  large  number  of  vehicles  were  available  for 
their  transport. 

Colonel  Warrener  heard  the  news  early,  and  knowing 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  315 

3htOW  interested  his  sons  were  in  the  matter,  he  rode 
round  to  their  respective  camps  and  told  them.  Leaving 
them  to  follow,  he  then  rode  over  to  the  Hargreaves'  tent. 

They  had  just  heard  the  news,  and,  short  as  the  time 
was,  had  so  few  preparations  to  make  that  they  were  ready 
for  a  start.  A  dawk-garry,  or  post  carriage,  was  allotted 
to  them,  which,  the  ayah  riding  outside,  would  hold 
them  with  some  comfort,  these  vehicles  being  specially 
constructed  to  allow  the  occupants,  when  two  in  number 
only,  to  lie  down  at  full  length.  It  would  be  a  close  fit 
for  the  three  ladies,  but  they  thought  that  they  could 
manage ;  and  it  was  a  comfort  to  know  that,  even  if  no 
tents  could  be  erected  at  night,  they  could  lie  down  in 
shelter. 

The  young  "Warren  ers  soon  arrived,  and  while  their 
father  was  discussing  the^  arrangements  with  Mrs.  Har- 
greaves, and  seeing  that  a  dozen  of  claret,  which  his 
orderly  had  at  his  orders  brought  across,  with  a  basket 
of  fruit,  was  properly  secured  on  the  roof,  they  sauntered 
off  with  the  girls,  soon  insensibly  pairing  off. 

"It  will  be  two  years  at  least  before  I  am  home  in 
England,  Nelly,"  Dick  said,  "and  I  hope  to  be  a  lieuten- 
ant soon  after,  for  I  am  certain  of  my  step  directly  I 
pass,  since  I  have  been  mentioned  three  times  in  dis- 
patches. I  know  I  am  a  boy,  not  much  over  sixteen, 
but  I  have  gone  through  a  lot,  and  am  older  than  my 
age ;  but  even  if  you  laugh  at  me,  Nelly,  I  must  tell  you 
I  love  you." 

But  Nelly  was  in  no  laughing  mood. 

"My  dear  Dick,"  she  said,  "I  am  not  going  to  laugh; 
I  am  too  sad  at  parting.  But  you  know  I  am  not  much 
over  fifteen  yet,  though  I  too  feel  older — oh,  so  much 
older  than  girls  in  England,  who  are  at  school  till  long 
past  that  age.     Tou  know  I  like  you,  Dick,  very,  very 


316  ~ v  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

much.  It  -would  be  absurd  to  say  more  than  that  to  eac!i 
other  now.  We  part  just  on  these  terms,  Dick.  We  know 
we  both  like  each  other  very  much.  Well,  yes,  I  will  say 
'love'  if  you  like,  Dick;  but  we  cannot  tell  the  least  in 
the  world  what  we  shall  do  five  years  hence.  So  we 
won't  make  any  promises,  or  anything  else ;  we  will  .be 
content  with  what  we  know ;  and  if  either  of  us  change, 
there  will  be  no  blame  and  misery-  Do  you  agree  to 
that,  Dick?" 

Dick  did  agree  very  joyfully,  and  a  few  minutes  later 
the  pair,  very  silent  now,  strolled  back  to  the  tent.  Ned 
and  Edith  were  already  there,  for  Ned  had  no  idea  of 
speaking  out  now,  or  of  asking  Edith  to  enter  into  an 
engagement  which  she  might  repent  when  she  came  to 
enter  society  in  England;  and  yet,  although  he  said 
nothing,  or  hardly  anything,  the  pair  understood  each 
other's  feelings  as  well  as  did  Dick  and  Nelly. 

All  was  now  ready  for  the  start,  everything  in  its 
place,  and  the  ayah  on  the  seat  with  the  driver.  Then 
came  the  parting — a  very  sad  one.  Mrs.  Hargreaves  was 
much  moved,  and  the  girls  wept  unrestrainedly,  while 
Colonel  Warrener,  who  had  made  his  adieus,  and  was 
standing  a  little  back,  lifted  his  eyebrows  with  a  comical 
look  of  astonishment,  as  he  saw  the  farewell  embraces  of 
his  sons  with  Edith  and  Nelly. 

"Humph,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "A  bad  attack  of 
calf  love  all  round.  Well, "  as  he  looked  at  the  manly 
figures  of  his  sons,  and  thought  of  the  qualities  they  had 
shown,  "I  should  not  be  surprised  if  the  boys  stick  to 
it;  but  whether  those  pretty  little  things  will  give  the 
matter  a  thought  when  they  have  once  come  out  at  homa 
remains  to  be  seen.  It  would  not  be  a  bad  thing,  for 
Hargreaves  was,  I  know,  a  very  wealthy  man,  and  there 
are  only  these  two  girls." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  Sl^j 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   LAST    CAPTUKE    OF   LUCENOW. 

Tee  women  and  children  brought  from  Lucknow  once 
sent  off  from  the  British  camp,  the  commander-in-chief 
•was  able  to  direct  his  attention  to  the  work  before  him — 
of  clearing  out  of  Cawnpore  the  rebel  army,  composed  of 
the  Gwalior  contingent,  and  the  troops  of  Koer  Sing  and 
Nana  Sahib,  in  all  twenty-five  thousand  men.  Against 
this  large  force  he  could  only  bring  seventy-five  hundred 
men ;  but  these,  well  led,  were  ample  for  the  purpose. 

The  position  on  the  night  of  the  5th  of  December  wa3 
as  follows :  The  British  camp  was  separated  from  the 
city  by  a  canal  running  east  and  west.  The  enemy  were 
entirely  on  the  north  of  this  canal,  their  center  occupy- 
ing the  town.  Outside  the  city  walls  lay  the  right  of  the 
rebel  army,  while  his  left  occupied  the  space  between  the 
walls  and  the  river.  In  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  left  was 
a  position  known  as  the  Subadar's  Tank.  The  British 
occupied  as  an  advanced  post  a  large  bazaar  on  the  city 
side  of  the  river. 

The  operations  of  the  6th  of  December  were  simple. 
A  demonstration  was  made  against  the  city  from  the 
bazaar,  which  occupied  the  attention  of  the  large  force 
holding  the  town.  The  main  body  of  the  British  were 
quietly  massed  on  its  left,  and  crossing  three  bridges 
over  the  canal,  attacked  the  enemy's  right  with  impetu- 
osity. These,  cut  off  by  rbthe  city  wall  from  their  com- 
rades within,  were  unable  to  stand  the  British  onslaught 


§18  ffl  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

and  the  thunder  of  Peel's  guns,  and  fled  precipitately, 
pursued  by  the  British  for  fourteen  miles  along  tha 
Calpee  Road.  Every  gun  and  ammunition  wagon  of  the 
mutineers  on  this  side  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors. 

As  the  victorious  British  force  swept  along  past  tha 
city  Sir  Colin  Campbell  detached  a  force  under  General 
Mansfield,  to  attack  and  occupy  the  position  of  tha 
Subadar's  Tank — which  was  captured  after  some  hard 
fighting.  Thus  the  British  were  in  a  position  in  rear  of 
the  enemy's  left.  The  mutineers,  seeing  that  their  right 
was  utterly  defeated,  and  the  retreat  of  their  left  threat- 
ened, lost  all  heart,  and  as  soon  as  darkness  came  oa 
fled,  a  disorganized  rabble,  from  the  city  they  had  en- 
tered as  conquerors  only  six  days  before.  The  cavalry 
started  next  day  in  pursuit,  cut  up  large  numbers,  and 
captured  the  greater  part  of  their  guns. 

The  threatening  army  of  Gwalior  thus  beaten  and 
scattered,  and  Cawnpore  in  our  hands,  Sir  Colin  Camp- 
bell was  able  to  devote  his  whole  attention  to  clearing 
the  country  in  his  rear,  and  in  preparing  for  the  great 
final  campaign  against  Lucknow,  which,  now  that  Delhi 
had  fallen,  was  the  headquarters  of  the  mutiny. 

The  next  two  months  were  passed  in  a  series  of  expedi- 
tions by  flying  columns.  In  some  of  these  Warreners  took 
part,  and  both  shared  in  the  defeats  of  the  Sepoys  and 
the  capture  of  Futtyghur  and  Furruckabad — places  at 
which  horrible  massacres  of  the  whites  had  taken  place 
in  the  early  days  of  the  mutiny.  During  these  two 
months  large  reinforcements  had  arrived;  and  Jung 
Bahadoor,  Prince  of  Nepaul,  had  come  down  with  an 
army  of  ten  thousand  Ghoorkas  to  our  aid. 

On  the  15th  of  February  the  tremendous  train  of 
artillery,  ammunition  and  stores,  collected  for  the  attack 
upon  the  city,  began  to  cross  the  river ;  and  upon  the  26th 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  319 

of  the  month  the  order  was  given  for  the  army  to  move 
upon  the  following  day. 

The  task  before  it  was  a  difficult  one.  From  all  the 
various  points  from  which  the  British  had  driven  them — 
from  Delhi,  from  Kohilcund,  and  the  Doab,  from  Cawn- 
pore,  Furruckabad,  Futtyghur,  Etawah,  Allyghur, 
Goruckpore,  and  other  places,  they  retreated  to  Luck- 
now,  and  there  were  now  collected  sixty  thousand  revolted 
Sepoys  and  fifty  thousand  irregular  troops,  besides  the 
armed  rabble  of  the  city  of  three  hundred  thousand  souls. 
Knowing  the  storm  that  was  preparing  to  burst  upon 
their  heads,  they  had  neglected  no  means  for  strengthen- 
ing their  position.  Great  lines  of  fortifications  had  been 
thrown  up ;  enormous  quantities  of  guns  placed  in  posi- 
tion; every  house  barricaded  and  loopholed,  and  the 
Kaiserbagh  transformed  into  a  veritable  citadel.  In 
hopes  of  destroying  the  force  under  General  Sir  James 
Outram,  at  the  Alumbagh — which  had  been  a  thorn  in 
their  side  for  so  long — a  series  of  desperate  attacks  had 
been  made  upon  them;  but  these  had  been  uniformly 
defeated,  with  heavy  loss,  by  the  gallant  British  force. 

On  the  3d  of  March  the  advanced  division  occupied 
the  Dil  Koosha,  meeting  with  but  slight  resistance ;  and 
the  commander-in-chief  at  once  took  up  his  headquarters 
here.  The  next  three  days  were  spent  in  making  the 
necessary  disposition  for  a  simultaneous  attack  upon  all 
sides  of  the  town — General  Outram  on  one  side,  Sir  Hope 
Grant  upon  another,  Jung  Bahadoor,  with  his  Nepaulese, 
on  the  third,  and  the  main  attack,  under  Sir  Colin  Camp- 
bell himself,  on  the  fourth. 

Great  was  the  excitement  in  the  camp  on  the  eve  of 
this  tremendous  struggle.  Colonel  Warrener  and  his 
sons  met  on  the  night  before  the  fighting  was  to  begin. 

"Well,  boys,"  he  said,  after  a  long  talk  upon  the  pros- 


320  7-v  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

pccts  of  the  fighting,  "did  you  do  as  you  talked  about, 
and  draw  your  pay  and  get  it  changed  into  gold?" 

"Most  of  it,"  Ned  said;  "we  could  not  get  it  all;  and 
Lad  to  pay  a  tremendous  rate  of  exchange  for  it. ' ' 

"Here  are  the  twenty  pounds  each  in  gold,  lads," 
Colonel  Warrener  said,  "that  I  told  you  I  could  get  for 
you.  Now  what  do  you  want  it  for?  You  would  not 
tell  me  at  Cawnpore. " 

"Well,  father,  at  Delhi  there  was  lots  of  loot  taken, 
quantities  of  valuable  things,  and  the  soldiers  were  sell- 
ing what  they  had  got  for  next  to  nothing.  I  had  some 
lovely  bracelets  offered  me  for  a  few  rupees,  but  no  one 
had  any  money  in  their  pockets.  So  Dick  and  I  deter- 
mined that  if  we  came  into  another  storming  business  we 
would  fill  our  pockets  beforehand  with  money.  They 
say  that  the  palaces,  the  Kaiserbagh  especially,  are 
crowded  with  valuable  things ;  and  as  they  will  be  lawful 
loot  for  the  troops,  we  shall  be  able  to  buy  no  end  of 
things. ' ' 

Colonel  Warrener  laughed. 

"There  is  nothing  like  forethought,  Ned;  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  you  will  be  able  to  pick  up  some  good 
things.  The  soldiers  attach  no  value  to  them,  and  would 
rather  have  gold,  which  they  can  change  for  spirits,  than 
all  the  precious  stones  in  the  world.  I  shall  be  out  of  it, 
as  of  course  the  cavalry  will  not  go  into  the  city,  but 
will  wait  outside  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat." 

The  fighting  began  with  General  Outram's  division, 
which  worked  round  the  city,  and  had  on  the  7th,  8th, 
and  9th,  to  repulse  heavy  attacks  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  9th  Sir  Colin  Campbell  advanced,  took  the 
Martiniere  with  but  slight  opposition,  crossed  the  canal, 
and  occupied  the  Secunderbagh — the  scene  of  the  tre- 
mendous   fighting     on    the     previous     advance.      Tlia 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  821 

Begum's  Palace,  in  front  of  Bank  House,  was  then 
attacked,  and  after  very  heavy  fighting  carried.  Here 
Major  Hodgson,  the  captor  of  the  King  01  Delhi,  was 
mortally  wounded.  General  Outram's  force  had  by  this 
time  taken  up  a  position  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
and  this  enabled  him  to  take  the  enemy's  defenses  in 
Sank,  and  so  greatly  to  assist  the  advancing  party. 

Day  by  day  the  troops  fought  their  way  forward,  and 
on  the  14th  the  Imaumbarra,  a  splendid  palace  of  the 
King  of  Oude,  adjoining  the  Kaiserbagh,  was  breached 
and  carried.  The  panic-struck  defenders  fled  through 
the  court  and  garden  into  the  Kaiserbagh,  followed  hotly 
by  the  Sikhs,  Ghoorkas,  and  Highlanders.  Such  was 
the  terror  which  their  appearance  excited  that  a  panic 
seized  also  the  defenders  of  the  Kaiserbagh,  and  these 
too  fled,  deserting  the  fortifications  raised  with  so  much 
care,  and  the  British  poured  into  the  palace.  For  a  few 
minutes  a  sharp  conflict  took  place  in  every  room,  and 
then  the  Sepoys  being  annihilated,  the  victors  fell  upon 
the  spoil. 

From  top  to  bottom  the  Kaiserbagh  was  crowded  with 
valuable  articles,  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 
English  furniture,  French  clocks  and  looking-glasses, 
Chinese  porcelain,  gorgeous  draperies,  golden  thrones 
studded  with  jewels,  costly  weapons  inlaid  with  gold, 
enormous  quanitites  of  jewelry — in  fact,  wealth  of  all 
kinds  to  an  almost  fabulous  value.  The  wildest  scene  of 
confusion  ensued.  According  to  the  rule  in  these  mat- 
ters, being  taken  by  storm  the  place  was  lawful  plunder. 
For  large  things  the  soldiers  did  not  care,  and  set-to 
to  smash  and  destroy  all  that  could  not  be  carried  away. 
Some  put  on  the  turbans  studded  with  jewels;  others 
hung  necklaces  of  enormous  value  round  their  necks,  or 
covered  their  arms  with  bracelets.     None  knew  the  varus 


g«j3  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

of  the  costly  gems  they  had  become  possessed  of;  ancl 
few  indeed  of  the  officers  could  discriminate  between  tha 
jewels  of  immense  value  and  those  which  were  mera 
worthless  imitations. 

As  soon  as  the  news  spread  that  the  Kaiserbagh  was 
taken  the  guns  fired  a  royal  salute  in  honor  of  the  tri- 
umph ;  and  all  officers  who  could  obtain  an  hour's  leave 
from  their  regiments  hurried  away  to  see  the  royal 
palace  of  Oude. 

The  Warreners  were  both  near  the  spot  when  the  news 
came;  both  were  able  to  get  away,  and  met  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  palace.  Already  soldiers,  British  and 
native,  were  passing  out  laden  with  spoil. 

"What  will  you  give  me  for  this  necklace,  sir?"  a 
soldier  asked  Ned. 

"I  have  no  idea  what  it's  worth,"  Ned  said. 

"No  more  have  I,"  said  the  soldier;  "it  may  be  glass, 
it  may  be  something  else.  You  shall  have  it  for  a 
sovereign. " 

"Very  well,"  Ned  said;  "here  is  one." 

So  onward  they  went,  buying  everything  in  the  way  of 
jewels  offered  them,  utterly  ignorant  themselves  whether 
the  articles  they  purchased  were  real  gems  or  imitation. 

Penetrating  into  the  palace,  they  found  all  was  wild 
confusion.  Soldiers  were  smashing  chandeliers  and  look- 
ing-glasses, breaking  up  furniture,  tumbling  the  con- 
tents of  chests  and  wardrobes  and  caskets  over  the  floors, 
eager  to  find,  equally  eager  to  sell  what  they  had  found. 

Bitter  were  the  exclamations  of  disappointment  and 
disgust  which  the  Warreners  heard  from  many  of  the 
officers  that  they  were  unprovided  with  money — for  the 
soldiers  would  not  sell  except  for  cash ;  but  for  a  few 
rupees  they  were  ready  to  part  with  anything.  Strings 
of  pearls  worth  a  thousand   pounds  were  bought  for  a 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  323 

couple  of  rupees — four  shillings ;  diamond  aigrettes  worth 
twice  as  much  went  for  a  sovereign ;  and  the  Warreners 
goon  laid  out  the  seventy  pounds  which  they  had  between 
them  when  they  entered  the  palace;  and  their  pockets 
and  the  breasts  of  their  coats  were  stuffed  with  their  pur- 
chases, and  each  had  a  bundle  in  his  handkerchief. 

"I  wonder,"  Dick  said,  as  they  made  their  way  back, 
'^whether  we  have  been  fools  or  wise  men.  I  have  not  a 
shadow  of  an  idea  whether  these  things  are  only  the 
eham  jewels  which  dancing  girls  wear,  or  whether  they 
are  real." 

"It  was  worth  running  the  risk,  anyhow;  for  if  only 
half  of  them  are  real,  they  are  a  big  fortune.  Anyhow, 
Dick,  let's  hold  our  tongues  about  it.  It's  no  use  mak- 
ing fellows  jealous  of  our  good  luck  if  they  turn  out  to 
be  real,  or  of  getting  chaffed  out  of  our  lives  if  they 
X>rove  false.  Let  us  just  stow  them  away  till  it's  all  over, 
and  then  ask  father  about  them." 

It  was  calculated  that  twenty  thousand  soldiers  and 
camp-followers  obtained  loot  of  more  or  less  value,  from 
the  case  of  jewelry,  valued  at  one  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  that  fell  into  the  hands  of  an  officer,  to  clocks, 
candelabra,  and  articles  of  furniture  carried  off  by  the 
least  fortunate.  The  value  of  the  treasure  there  was  esti- 
mated at  ten  millions  of  money  at  the  lowest  computation. 

The  fall  of  the  Kaiserbagh  utterly  demoralized  the 
enemy ;  and  from  that  moment  they  began  to  leave  the 
town  by  night  in  thousands.  Numbers  were  cut  off  and 
slaughtered  by  our  cavalry  and  artillery;  but  large 
bodies  succeeded  in  escaping  to  give  us  fresh  trouble  in 
the  field. 

Day  by  day  the  troops  fought  their  way  from  palace  to 
palace,  and  from  street  to  street.  Day  and  night  the 
cannon  and  mortar  batteries  thundered  against  the  dis- 


o34  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

tricts  of  the  city  still  uncaptured ;  and  great  fires  blazed 
in  a  dozen  quarters,  until  gradually  the  resistance  ceased, 
and  Lucknow  was  won. 

It  was  not  until  a  week  after  the  storming  of  the 
Kaiserbagh — by  which  time  everything  had  settled  down, 
order  was  restored,  and  the  inhabitants  were,  under  the 
direction  of  the  military  authorities,  engaged  in  clearing 
away  rubbish,  leveling  barricades,  and  razing  to  the 
ground  a  considerable  portion  of  the  city — that  Colonel 
Warrener  and  his  sons  met.  The  troops  were  now  all 
comfortably  under  canvas  in  the  cantonments,  and  were 
enjoying  a  well-earned  rest  after  their  labors. 

"Well,  boys,"  he  said,  "have  you  heard  Warrener  'a 
Horse  is  to  be  broken  up?  The  officers  have  all  been  ap- 
pointed to  regiments,  the  civilians  are  anxious  to  return 
to  look  after  their  own  affairs.  I  am  to  go  up  to  take  the 
command  of  a  newly-raised  Punjab  regiment.  Dunlop 
goes  with  me  as  major.  Manners  has  been  badly  hit, 
and  goes  home.  The  greater  part  of  the  naval  brigade 
march  down  to  Calcutta  at  once.  The  force  will  be 
broken  up  into  flying  columns,  for  there  is  much  to  be 
done  yet.  The  greater  portion  of  these  scoundrels  have 
got  away,  and  there  are  still  considerably  more  than  one 
hundred  thousand  of  the  enemy  scattered  in  large  bodies 
over  the  country.  I  am  going  to  Delhi,  through  Agra, 
with  Dunlop ;  I  accompany  a  detachment  of  fifty  irregu- 
lar Punjab  horse  who  are  ordered  down  to  Agra.  Then 
I  shall  go  up  to  Meerut  and  have  a  week  with  the  girls ; 
and  do  you  know  I  have  seen  Captain  Peel  and  your 
colonel,  Ned,  and  have  got  leave  for  you  both  for  a 
month.  Then  you  will  go  down  to  Calcutta,  Dick,  and 
join  your  ship;  Ned  will,  of  course,  rejoin  his  regiment." 

The  lads  were  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  again  seeing 
their  sister  and  cousin ;  and  Dick  indulged  in  a  wild 
dance,  expressive  of  joy. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  325 

"Well,  boys,  and  Low  about  loot;  did  you  lay  out 
your  money?" 

"We  laid  it  out,  father;  but  we  have  not  the  least  idea 
•whether  we  have  bought  rubbish  or  not.  This  black  bag 
is  full  of  it," 

So  saying,  Ned  emptied  a  large  handbag  upon  the  top 
of  a  barrel  which  served  as  a  table.  Colonel  Warrener 
gave  a  cry  of  astonishment  as  a  great  stream  of  bracelets, 
necklaces,  tiaras,  aigrettes,  and  other  ornaments  poured 
out  of  the  bag. 

"Good  gracious,  boys!  do  you  mean  to  say  all  these 
are  yours?" 

"Ours  and  yours,  father;  there  were  forty  pounds  of 
your  money,  and  thirty -five  of  ours.  Do  you  think  they 
are  real?" 

Colonel  Warrener  took  one  or  two  articles  from  the 
flashing  heap  of  diamonds,  emeralds,  rubies,  opals  and 
pearls. 

"I  should  say  so, "  he  said;  "some  of  them  are  cer- 
tainly.    But  have  you  any  idea  what  these  are  worth?" 

"Not  the  least  in  the  world, "  Ned  said;  "if  they  are 
real,  though,  I  suppose  they  are  worth  some  thousands  of 
pounds." 

"My  boys,  I  should  say, "  Colonel  Warrener  replied, 
turning  over  the  heap,  "they  must  be  worth  a  hundred 
thousand  if  they  are  worth  a  penny." 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  in  astonishment. 

"Keally,  father?" 

"Keally,  my  boys." 

"Hurrah,"  Dick  said.  "Then  you  can  give  up  the 
service  when  this  war  is  over,  father,  and  go  home  and 
live  as  a  rich  man;  that  will  be  glorious." 

"My  dear  boys,  the  prize  is  yours." 

"Nonsense,   father!"    exclaimed    the    boys    together. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

And  then  began  an  amicable  contest,  which  was  not 
finally  concluded  for  many  a  long  day. 

"But  what  had  we  better  do  with  all  these  things, 
father?"  Dick  said  at  last. 

"We  will  get  a  small  chest  and  put  them  in,  hoys.  I 
will  give  it  to  the  paymaster — he  is  sending  a  lot  of 
treasure  down  under  a  strong  escort — and  will  ask  him  to 
let  it  go  down  with  the  convoy.  I  will  direct  it  to  a  firm 
at  Calcutta,  and  will  ask  them  to  forward  it  to  my  agent 
at  home,  to  whom  I  will  give  directions  to  send  it  to  a 
first-class  jeweler  in  London,  to  be  by  him  opened  and 
valued.  I  will  tell  the  Calcutta  firm  to  insure  it  on  the 
voyage  as  treasure  at  twenty  thousand  pounds.  Even  if 
eome  of  them  turn  out  to  be  false,  you  may  congratulate 
each  other  that  you  are  provided  for  for  life." 

"And  when  do  we  sot  out,  father?"  Ned  asked,  after 
they  had  talked  for  some  time  longer  about  their  treasure. 

"In  three  days'  time.  We  shall  accompany  a  flying 
column  for  the  first  two  days'  march,  and  then  strike 
across  for  Agra." 

The  next  two  days  the  Warreners  spent  in  investigat- 
ing the  town,  in  wandering  through  the  deserted  palaces, 
and  admiring  their  vast  extent,  and  in  saying  good-by  to 
their  friends.  A  great  portion  of  the  teeming  population 
of  Lucknow  had  fled,  and  the  whole  city  outside  the 
original  town  was  to  be  cleared  away  and  laid  out  in 
gardens,  so  that  henceforth  Lucknow  would  be  little 
more  than  a  fifth  of  its  former  size.  The  ruined  Resi- 
dency was  to  be  cleared  of  its  debris,  replanted  with 
trees,  and  to  be  left  as  a  memorial  of  British  valor.  The 
entire  district  through  which  Havelock's  men  had  fought 
their  way  was  to  be  cleared  of  its  streets,  and  the  palaces 
only  were  to  be  left  standing,  to  be  utilized  for  public 
purposes.     The  whole  of  the  remaining  male  population 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  327 

oil  Lucknow  was  set  to  work  to  carry  out  these  altera- 
tions. The  scene  was  busy  and  amusing,  and  the  change 
from  the  fierce  fight,  the  din  of  cannon,  and  the  perpet- 
ual rattle  of  musketry,  to  the  order,  regularity,  and 
hustle  of  work,  was  very  striking.  Here  was  a  party  of 
sappers  and  miners  demolishing  a  row  of  houses,  there 
thousands  of  natives  filling  baskets  with  rubbish  and 
carrying  them  on  their  heads  to  empty  into  bullock-carts, 
whence  it  was  taken  to  fill  up  holes  and  level  irregulari- 
ties. Among  the  crowd,  soldiers  of  many  uniforms — 
British  infantry,  Rifles,  Highlanders,  artillery  and 
cavalry,  sinewy  Sikhs  and  quiet  little  Nepaulese — wan- 
dered at  will,  or  worked  in  fatigue  parties. 

The  three  days  past  Colonel  Warrener,  his  sons,  and 
Major  Dunlop  took  their  places  on  horseback  with  the 
troop  of  irregular  cavalry  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Latham,  and  joined  the  flying  column  which  was  setting 
out  to  attack  a  large  body  of  the  enemy,  who  were 
reported  to  be  gathering  again  near  Furruckabad,  while 
simultaneously  other  columns  were  leaving  in  other  direc- 
tions, for,  broken  at  Lucknow,  the  rebels  were  swarming 
throughout  all  Oude.  The  day  was  breaking,  but  the 
sun  was  not  yet  up,  when  the  column  started — for  in 
India  it  is  the  universal  custom  to  start  very  early,  so  as 
to  get  the  greater  part  of  the  march  over  before  the  heat 
of  the  day  fairly  begins — and  the  young  Warreners  were 
in  the  highest  spirits  at  the  thought  that  they  were  on 
their  way  to  see  their  sister  and  cousin,  and  that  their 
nine  months  of  marching  and  fighting  were  drawing  to  a 
close,  for  it  is  possible  to  have  too  much  even  of  adven- 
ture. At  ten  o'clock  a  halt  was  called  at  the  edge  of  a 
large  wood,  and  after  preparing  breakfast  there  was  a 
rest  in  the  shade  until  four  in  the  afternoon,  after  which 
a  two  hours'  march  took  them  to  their  halting-place  for 


328  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

the  night.  Tents  were  pitched,  fires  lighted,  and  then, 
dinner  over,  the}-  made  merry  groups,  who  sat  smokiu^ 
and  chatting  until  nine  o'clock,  when  the  noise  ceased, 
the  fires  burned  down,  and  all  was  quiet  until  the  reveille 
sounded  at  four  o'clock,  after  which  there  was  an  hour  of 
busy  work,  getting  down  rolling  up  and  packing  the 
tents  and  baggage  in  the  wagons. 

Another  day's  march  and  halt,  and  then  Colonel  War- 
rener  and  his  friends  said  good-by  to  their  acquaintances 
in  the  column,  and  started,  with  the  troop  of  cavalry,  for 
Agra.  Unincumbered  by  baggage  and  no  longer  obliged 
to  conform  their  pace  to  that  of  the  infantry,  they  trotted 
gayly  along,  and  accomplished  forty  miles  ere  they  halted 
for  the  night,  near  a  village.  The  country  through 
which  they  had  passed  had  had  an  almost  deserted  ap- 
pearance. Here  and  there  a  laborer  was  at  work  in  the 
fields,  but  the  confusion  and  alarm  created  by  the  bodies 
of  mutineers  who  had  swept  over  the  country,  and  who 
always  helped  themselves  to  whatever  pleased  them,  had 
created  such  a  scare  that  the  villagers  for  the  most  part 
had  forsaken  their  abodes,  and  driven  their  animals,  with 
all  their  belongings,  to  the  edge  of  jungles  or  other  un- 
frequented places,  there  to  await  the  termination  of  the 
struggle. 

At  the  end  of  the  day's  journey  they  halted  in  front  of 
a  great  mosque-like  building  with  a  dome,  the  tomb  of 
some  long  dead  prince.  The  doors  stood  open,  and 
Colonel  Warrener  proposed  that  they  should  take  up  their 
quarters  for  the  night  in  the  lofty  interior  instead  of 
sleeping  in  the  night  air,  for  although  the  temperature 
was  still  high,  the  night  dews  were  the  reverse  of  pleas- 
ant. It  was  evident  by  the  appearance  of  the  interior 
that  it  had  been  used  as  the  headquarters  and  storehouse 
of  some  body  of  the  enemy,  for  a  considerable  quantity 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  829 

of  stores,  military  saddles,  liarness,  coils  of  rope,  and 
barrels  of  flour  were  piled  against  the  ■wall.  A  space  was 
soon  swept  and  a  fire  lighted  on  the  floor.  Outside  the 
troopers  dismounted,  some  proceeded  to  a  wood  at  a  short 
distance  off  to  fetch  fuel,  others  took  the  horses  to  a  tank 
or  pond  to  drink.  It  was  already  getting  dusk,  and 
inside  the  great  domed  chamber  it  was  nearly  dark. 

"The  fire  looks  cheerful,"  Colonel  Warrener  said,  as 
after  seeing  that  the  men  had  properly  picketed  their 
horses  and  had  made  all  their  arrangements,  the  little 
group  of  officers  returned  to  it.  A  trooper  had  already 
prepared  their  meal,  which  consisted  of  kabobs,  or  pieces 
of  mutton — from  a  couple  of  sheep,  which  they  had  pur- 
chased at  a  village  where  they  halted  in  the  morning — a 
large  bowl  of  boiled  rice  and  some  chupatties,  or  griddle 
cakes ;  a  pannikin  of  tea  was  placed  by  each ;  and  spread- 
ing their  cloaks  on  the  ground,  they  set  to  with  tha 
appetite  of  travelers.  Dinner  over,  a  bottle  of  brandy 
was  produced  from  one  of  Major  Dunlop's  holsters,  the 
pannikin  was  washed  out,  and  a  supply  of  fresh  water 
brought  in,  pipes  and  cheroots  lighted  and  they  prepared 
for  a  cheerful  evening. 

"I  am  very  sorry  Manners  is  not  here,"  Dick  said;  "it 
would  have  been  so  jolly  to  be  all  together  again.  How- 
ever, it  is  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  his  wound  is  doing 
well  and  that  he  is  likely  to  be  all  right  in  a  few  months. " 

"Yes,"  Colonel  "Warrener  said,  "but  I  believe  that  he 
will  have  to  leave  the  service.  His  right  leg  will  always 
be  shorter  than  the  left." 

"I  don't  suppose  he  will  mind  that,"  Ned  said.  "I 
should  think  he  must  have  had  enough  of  India  to  last 
for  his  life." 

"Mr.  Latham,"  Dick  said  presently  to  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  cavalry,  "will  you  tell  us  your  adven- 
tures?    We  know  all  about  each  other's  doings." 


830  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

So  they  sat  and  talked  until  ten  o'clock,  when  Mr. 
Latham  went  round  to  see  that  the  sentries  were  properly 
placed  and  alert.  When  he  returned  the  door  was  shut 
to  keep  out  the  damp  air,  and  the  whole  party,  rolling 
themselves  in  their  cloaks,  and  using  their  saddles  for 
pillows,  laid  up  for  the  night.  Dick  was  some  time 
before  he  slept.  His  imagination  was  active,  and  when 
he  at  last  dozed  off  he  was  thinking  what  they  had  best 
do  were  they  attacked  by  the  enemy. 

It  was  still  dark  when  with  a  sudden  start  the  sleeping 
party  in  the  tomb  awoke  and  leaped  to  their  feet.  For 
a  moment  they  stood  bewildered,  for  outside  was  heard 
on  all  sides  the  crack  of  volleys  of  musketry,  wild  yells 
and  shouts,  and  the  trampling  of  a  large  body  of  cavalry. 

"Surprised!"  exclaimed  the  colonel.  "The  sentries 
must  have  been  asleep!" 

There  was  a  rush  to  the  door,  and  the  sight  that  met 
their  eyes  showed  them  the  extent  of  the  disaster.  The 
moon  was  shining  brightly,  and  by  her  light  they  could 
see  that  a  large  body  of  rebel  cavalry  had  fallen  upon  the 
deeping  troopers,  while  the  heavy  musketry  fire  showed 
that  a  strong  body  of  infantry  were  at  work  on  the  other 
side  of  the  mosque.  Lieutenant  Latham  rushed  down 
the  steps  with  his  sword  drawn,  but  fell  back  dead,  shot 
through  the  heart. 

"Back,  back!"  shouted  Colonel  Warrener.  "Let  us 
ESll  our  lives  here!" 


W  TIMES  OF  PEHIL, 


CHAPTER  XXin. 

A    DESPERATE     DEFENSE. 

In  an  instant  the  door  .was  closed  and  bolted,  and  the 
four  set  to  work  to  pile  barrels  and  boxes  against  it, 
Not  a  word  was  spoken  while  this  was  going  on.  By  the 
time  they  had  finished  the  uproar  without  had  changed 
its  character ;  the  firing  had  ceased,  and  the  triumphant 
shouts  of  the  mutineers  showed  that  their  victory  was 
complete.  Then  came  a  loud  thundering  noise  at  the 
door. 

" We  have  only  delayed  it  a  few  minutes,"  Colonel 
Warrener  said.  "We  have  fought  our  fight,  boys,  and 
our  time  has  come.  Would  to  God  that  I  had  to  dio 
alone ! ' ' 

"Look,  father,"  Dick  said,  "there  is  a  small  door 
there.  I  noticed  it  last  night.  No  doubt  there  is  a 
staircase  leading  to  the  terrace  above.  At  any  rate  wa 
may  make  a  good  fight  there." 

"Yes,"  Major  Dunlop  said,  "we  may  fight  it  out  to  the 
last  on  the  stairs.     Eun,  Dick,  and  see." 

Dick  found,  as  he  supposed,  that  from  the  door  a  nar- 
row winding  staircase  led  to  the  terrace  above,  from 
which  the  dome  rose  far  into  the  air.  The  stairs  wera 
lit  by  an  occasional  narrow  window.  He  was  thinking  as 
he  ran  upstairs  of  the  ideas  that  had  crossed  his  brain. 
the  night  before. 


S32  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"It  is  all  right,  "he  said,  as  lie  came  down  again. 
"Look,  father,  if  we  take  up  barrels  and  boxes  we  can 
make  barricades  on  the  stairs  and  defend  them  for  any 
lime  almost. ' ' 

"Excellent,"  the  colonel  said.  "To  work.  They  will 
be  a  quarter  of  an  hour  breaking  in  the  door.  Make  the 
top  barricade  first,  a  few  feet  below  the  terrace. ' ' 

Each  seized  a  box  or  barrel  and  hurried  up  the  stairs. 
They  had  a  longer  time  for  preparation  than  they  ex- 
pected, for  the  mutineers,  feeling  sure  of  their  prey, 
were  in  no  hurry,  and  finding  how  strong  was  the  door, 
decided  to  sit  down  and  wait  until  their  guns  would  be 
up  to  blow  it  in.  Thus  the  defenders  of  the  tomb  had 
an  hour's  grace,  and  in  that  time  had  constructed  three 
solid  barricades.  Each  was  placed  a  short  distance  above 
an  opening  for  light,  so  that  while  they  themselves  were 
in  darkness,  their  assailants  would  be  in  the  light.  They 
left  a  sufficient  space  at  the  top  of  each  barricade  for 
them  to  scramble  over,  leaving  some  spare  barrels  on  the 
stairs  above  it  to  fill  up  the  space  after  taking  their 
position. 

"Now  for  the  remains  of  our  supper,  father,"  Dick 
said,  "and  that  big  water  jug.  I  will  carry  them  up. 
Ned,  do  you  bring  up  that  long  coil  of  thin  rope." 

"What  for,  Dick?" 

"It  may  be  useful,  Ned;  ropes  are  always  useful.  Ah, 
their  guns  are  up." 

As  he  spoke  a  round  shot  crashed  through  the  door, 
and  sent  splinters  of  casks  and  a  cloud  of  flour  flying. 

"Now,  Ned,  come  along,"  Dick  said;  and  followed  by 
Colonel  Warrener  and  Major  Dunlop,  they  entered  the 
little  doorway  and  ran  up  the  narrow  stairs. 

At  the  first  barricade,  which  was  some  thirty  steps  up, 
ihe  officers  stopped,  and  proceeded  to  fill  up  the  passage 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  ggg 

hitherto  left  open,  while  the  boys  continued  their  way  to 
the  terrace. 

"Let  us  hare  a  look  round,  Ned;  those  fellows  will  he 
Eome  minutes  before  they  are  in  yet;  and  that  barricade 
will  puzzle  them. ' ' 

Day  was  breaking  now,  and  the  lads  peered  over  the 
parapet  which  ran  round  the  terrace. 

"There  are  a  tremendous  lot  of  those  fellows,  Dick, 
four  or  five  thousand  of  them  at  least,  and  they  have  got 
six  guns." 

"Hurrah,  Ned!"  Dick  said,  looking  round  at  the 
great  dome;  "this  is  just  what  I  hoped." 

He  pointed  to  a  flight  of  narrow  steps,  only  some 
twelve  inches  across,  fixed  to  the  side  of  the  dome,  which 
rose  for  some  distance  almost  perpendicularly.  By  the 
side  of  the  steps  was  a  low  hand-rail.  They  were  evi- 
dently placed  there  permanently,  to  enable  workmen  to 
ascend  to  the  top  of  the  dome,  to  re-gild  the  long  spike 
which,  surmounted  by  a  crescent,  rose  from  its  summit, 
or  to  do  any  repairs  that  were  needful. 

"There,  Ned,  I  noticed  these  steps  on  some  of  the  domes 
at  Lucknow.  When  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst  and 
we  are  beaten  from  the  stairs,  we  can  climb  up  that 
ladder — for  it's  more  like  a  ladder  than  stairs — and  once 
en  the  top  could  laugh  at  the  whole  army  of  them.  Now, 
Ned,  let  us  go  down  to  them ;  by  that  cheering  below 
the  artillery  has  broken  the  door  open. ' ' 

The  mutineers  burst  through  the  broken  door  into  the 
great  hall  with  triumphant  yells,  heralding  their  entrance 
by  a  storm  of  musketry  fire,  for  they  knew  how  desper- 
ately even  a  few  Englishmen  will  sell  their  lives.  There 
was  a  shout  of  disappointment  at  finding  the  interior  un- 
tenanted; but  a  moment's  glance  round  discovered  the 
door,  and  there  was  a  rush  toward  it,  each  longing  to  be 


334  Or  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

the  first  to  the  slaughter.  The  light  in  the  interior  was 
hut  faint,  and  the  stairs  were  pitch  dark,  and  were  only 
•wide  enough  for  one  man  to  go  up  with  comfort,  although 
two  could  just  stand  side  by  side.  Without  an  obstacle 
the  leaders  of  the  party  stumbled  and  groped  their  way 
up  the  stairs  until  the  first  came  into  the  light  of  a  long 
narrow  loophole  in  the  wall.  Then  from  the  darkness 
above  came  the  sharp  crack  of  a  revolver,  and  the  man 
fell  on  his  face,  shot  through  the  heart.  Another  crack 
and  the  next  shared  his  fate.  Then  there  was  a  pause, 
for  the  spiral  was  so  sharp  that  not  more  than  two  at  a 
time  were  within  sight  of  the  defenders  of  the  barricade. 
The  next  man  hesitated  at  seeing  his  immediate  lead- 
ers fall ;  but  pressed  from  behind  he  advanced,  with  his 
musket  at  his  shoulder,  in  readiness  to  fire  when  he  saw 
his  foes,  but  the  instant  his  head  appeared  round  tho 
corner  a  ball  struck  him,  and  he  too  fell.  Still  the  pres3 
from  behind  pushed  the  leaders  forward,  and  it  was  not 
until  six  had  fallen,  and  the  narrow  stairs  were  impassa- 
ble from  the  dead  bodies,  that  an  officer  of  rank,  who 
came  the  next  on  the  line,  succeeded  by  shouting  in 
checking  the  advance.  Then  orders  were  passed  down 
for  those  crowding  the  doorway  to  fall  back,  and  the 
officer,  with  the  men  on  the  stairs,  descended,  and 
the  former  reported  to  the  leader  that  six  men  had  fallen, 
and  that  the  stairs  were  choked  with  their  bodies. 
After  much  consultation  orders  were  given  the  men  to  go 
up,  and  keeping  below  the  spot  at  which,  one  after 
another,  their  comrades  had  fallen,  to  stretch  out  their 
arms  and  pull  down  the  bodies.  This  was  done  and  then 
an  angry  consultation  again  took  place.  It  was  clear 
that,  moving  fast,  only  one  could  mount  the  stairs  at  a 
time,  and  it  seemed  equally  certain  that  this  one  would, 
on  reaching  a  certain  spot,  be  shot  by  his  invisible  foes. 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Large  rewards  and  great  honor  were  promised  by  the 
chief  to  those  who  would  undertake  to  lead  the  assault, 
and  at  last  volunteers  were  found,  and  another  rush 
attempted. 

It  failed,  as  had  the  first.  Each  man  as  he  passed  the 
loophole  fell,  and  again  the  dead  choked  the  stairs.  One 
or  two  had  not  fallen  at  the  first  shot,  and  had  got  a  few 
steps  higher,  but  only  to  fall  back  dead  upon  their  com- 
rades. Again  the  assault  ceased,  and  for  two  or  three 
hours  there  was  a  pause.  The  officers  of  the  mutineers 
deliberated  and  quarreled;  the  men  set-to  to  prepare 
their  meal.  That  over,  one  of  the  troopers  went  in  to 
the  officers  and  proposed  a  plan,  which  was  at  once  ap- 
proved of,  and  a  handsome  reward  immediately  paid  him. 
Before  enlisting  he  had  been  a  carpenter,  and  as  there 
were  many  others  of  the  same  trade,  no  time  was  lost  in 
carrying  out  the  suggestion.  Several  of  the  thick  planks 
composing  the  door  remained  uninjured.  These  were 
cut  and  nailed  together,  so  as  to  make  a  shield  of  exactly 
the  same  width  as  the  staircase,  and  six  feet  high;  on 
one  side  several  straps  and  loops  were  nailed,  to  give  a 
good  hold  to  those  carrying  it;  and  then  with  a  cheer 
the  Sepoys  again  prepared  for  an  attack.  The  shield  was 
heavy,  but  steadily,  and  with  much  labor,  it  was  carried 
up  the  stairs  step  by  step,  by  two  men,  others  pressing 
on  behind. 

"When  they  reached  the  loophole  the  pistol  shots  from 
above  again  rang  out;  but  the  door  was  of  heavy  sea- 
soned wood,  three  inches  thick,  and  the  bullets  failed  to 
penetrate.  Then  the  shield  ascended  step  by  step,  until 
it  reached  the  barrier.  There'it  stopped,  for  the  strength 
that  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  it  was  altogether 
insufficient  to  move  in  the  slightest  the  solid  pile,  and 
after  some  time  spent  in  vain  efforts,  the  shield  was  taken 


338  Hf  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

back  again,  as  gradually  and  carefully  as  it  bad  been 
advanced,  until  out  of  the  range  of  the  pistols  of  the 
defenders. 

"What  will  be  the  next  move,  I  wonder?"  Colonel 
Warrener  said,  as  the  little  party  sat  down  on  the  stah'3 
and  waited  for  a  renewal  of  the  attack. 

"I  don't  like  that  shield,"  Major  Dunlop  remarked; 
v:cit  shows  that  there  is  some  more  than  usually  intelli- 
gent scoundrel  among  them,  and  he  will  be  up  to  soma 
new  trick. " 

An  hour  passed,  and  then  there  was  a  noise  on  the 
stairs,  and  the  shield  was  again  seen  approaching.  A3 
before,  it  advanced  to  the  barrier  and  stopped.  Ther9 
was  then  a  sort  of  a  grating  noise  against  it  and  the  door 
ehook  as  this  continued. 

"What  on  earth  are  they  up  to  now?"  Major  Dunlop 
exclaimed. 

"Piling  fagots  against  it,"  Dick  said,  "or  I  am  mis- 
taken. I  have  been  afraid  of  fire  all  along.  If  they  had 
only  lit  a  pile  of  damp  wood  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs 
they  could  have  smoked  us  out  at  the  top ;  and  then,  as 
the  smoke  cleared  below,  they  could  have  gone  up  and 
removed  the  barricade  before  the  upper  stairs  were  free 
enough  from  smoke  for  us  to  come  down.  There,  I 
thought  so!  Make  haste!"  and  Dick  dashed  up  the 
stairs,  followed  by  his  friends,  as  a  curl  of  smoke  as- 
cended, and  a  loud  cheer  burst  from  the  Sepoj's  below. 

Quickly  as  they  ran  upstairs  the  smoke  ascended  still 
more  rapidly,  and  they  emerged  upon  the  terrace  half- 
suffocated  and  blinded. 

"So  ends  barricade  number  one,"  Major  Dunlop  said, 
when  they  had  recovered  from  their  fit  of  coughing.  "1 
suppose  it  will  be  pretty  nearly  an  hour  before  the  fire  is 
burned  out." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  33? 

''The  door  would  not  burn  through  in  that  time,"  said 
Major  Warrener;  "but  they  will  be  able  to  stand  pretty 
close,  and  the  moment  the  fagots  are  burned  out  they 
•will  drag  the  screen  out  of  the  way,  and  with  long  poles 
with  hooks,  or  something  of  that  sort,  haul  down  the  bar- 
ricade. Directly  the  smoke  clears  off  enough  for  us  to 
breathe  we  will  go  down  to  our  middle  barricade.  They 
may  take  that  the  same  way  they  took  the  first,  but  they 
cannot  take  the  last  so. ' ' 

"Why  not,  father?"  Ned  asked. 

"Because  it's  only  ten  steps  from  the  top,  Ned;  so 
that,  however  great  a  smoke  they  make,  we  can  be  there 
again  the  instant  they  begin  to  pull  it  down. ' ' 

It  was  now  past  midday,  and  the  party  partook  spar- 
ingly of  their  small  store  of  food  and  water.  The  smok9 
continued  for  some  time  to  pour  out  of  the  door  of  the 
stairs  in  dense  volumes,  then  became  lighter.  Several 
times  the  lads  tried  to  descend  a  few  steps,  but  found 
that  breathing  was  impossible,  for  the  smoke  from  the 
green  wood  was  insupportable.  At  last  it  became  clear 
enough  to  breathe,  and  then  the  party  ran  rapidly  down 
to  their  second  barricade.  That  at  least  was  intact,  but 
below  they  could  hear  the  fall  of  heavy  bodies,  and  knew 
that  the  lower  barricade  was  destroyed. 

"I  don't  suppose  that  screen  of  theirs  was  burned 
through,  father,  so  very  likely  they  will  try  the  same 
dodge  again.  Of  course  they  don't  know  whether  we 
have  another  barricade,  or  where  we  are,  so  they  will 
come  on  cautiously.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  you  and  Dun- 
lop  were  to  take  your  place  a  bit  lower  than  this,  stoop- 
ing down  on  the  stairs,  and  then  when  they  come  were 
boldly  to  throw  yourselves  with  all  your  weight  suddenly 
against  the  shield,  you  would  send  it  and  its  bearers 
headlong  downstairs,  and  could  then  follow  them  and  cut 
them  up  tremendously. ' ' 


g38  rJV  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

"Capital,  Dick!  that  would  be  just  the  thing;  don'& 
you  think  so,  Dunlop?  If  they  haven't  got  the  shield  wa 
can  shoot  them  down,  so  either  way  we  may  as  well  make 
a  sortie. 

"I  think  so, "  Major  Dunlop  said.     "Here  goes,  then. " 

Halfway  down  they  heard  the  trampling  of  steps 
again.  The  Sepoys  had  extinguished  the  fires  with, 
buckets  of  water,  had  put  straps  to  the  door  again,  and 
were  pursuing  their  former  tactics.  The  two  officers  sat 
down  and  awaited  the  coming  of  their  foes.  Slowly  the 
latter  ascended,  until  the  door  was  within  two  steps  of 
the  Englishmen.  Then  the  latter  simultaneously  flung 
all  their  weight  against  it. 

Wholly  unprepared  for  the  assault,  the  bearers  were 
hurled  backward,  with  the  heavy  shield  upon  them, 
knocking  down  those  behind  them,  who,  in  turn,  fell  on 
those  below.  Sword  in  hand,  Colonel  Warrener  sprang 
upon  the  hindmost  of  the  falling  mass,  while,  pressing 
just  behind  him,  and  firing  over  his  shoulder,  Major 
Dunlop  followed. 

Shrieks  of  dismay  rose  from  the  Sepoys  who  crowded 
the  stairs,  as  the  bodies  of  those  above  were  hurled  upon 
them ;  flight  or  defense  was  equally  impossible ;  turning 
to  descend,  they  leaped  upon  their  comrades  below.  A 
frightful  scene  ensued — such  a  scene  as  has  sometimes 
been  seen  on  the  stairs  of  a  theater  on  fire.  What  was 
the  danger  above,  none  thought ;  a  wild  panic  seized  all ; 
over  each  other  they  rolled,  choking  the  stairs  and 
obstructing  all  movement,  until  the  last  twenty  feet  of 
the  stairs  were  packed  closely  with  a  solid  mass  of  human 
beings,  lying  thickly  on  each  other,  and  stifling  each 
other  to  death.  On  reaching  this  mass  Colonel  War- 
rener and  his  friend  paused.  There  was  nothing  more 
to   be    done.     Over  fifty  human  beings  lay  crushed  to- 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  S89 

gether;  those  on  the  top  of  the  heap  were  shot,  and 
then  the  officers  retraced  their  steps.  Many  lay  on  the 
stairs,  but  Major  Dunlop  had  passed  his  sword  through 
their  bodies  as  he  passed  them.  Four  muskets  were 
picked  up,  and  all  the  ammunition  from  the  pouches; 
and  then,  with  the  boys,  who  had  followed  closely  behind 
them,  they  again  ascended  to  the.  terrace  and  sat  down. 

"We  are  safe  now  for  some  time,"  Colonel  "Warrener 
said.  "It  will  take  them  a  long  time  to  clear  away  that 
heap  of  dead,  and  they  won't  try  the  shield  dodge 
again." 

It  was  indeed  late  in  the  afternoon  before  the  Sepoys 
made  any  fresh  move  against  the  defenders  of  the  stairs. 
The  time,  however,  had  not  passed  idly  with  the  latter. 
One  of  them  keeping  watch  at  the  barrier,  the  others  had 
maintained  a  steady  musketry  fire  through  the  open  work 
of  the  parapet  upon  the  enemy  below.  The  Sepoys  had 
answered  with  a  scattering  fire ;  but  as  the  defenders 
were  invisible  behind  the  parapet,  and  could  move  from 
one  point  to  another  unobserved,  there  was  but  little  fear 
of  their  being  hit ;  while  their  steady  fire  did  so  much 
execution  among  the  throng  of  Sepoys  that  these  had  to 
move  their  camping  ground  a  couple  of  hundred  yards 
back  from  the  tomb. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  several  men  bearing  large 
bundles  of  straw  and  bamboos  ran  across  the  open  ground 
and  entered  the  xr  isque,  and  the  besieged  guessed  that 
another  attempt  was  to  be  made  to  smoke  them  out. 
There  had  been  much  consultation  on  the  part  of  the  en- 
raged mutineers,  and  this  time  two  men,  with  their 
muskets  leveled  at  their  shoulders,  led  the  advance. 
Very  slowly  they  made  their  way  up,  until  a  pistol  shot 
rang  out,  and  one  of  the  leaders,  discharging  his 
musket    before    him,    fell.       Then    there    was    a    halt. 


S40  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

Another  Sepoy,  with  fixed  bayonet,  took  the  place  in. 
front,  and  over  the  shoulders  of  him  and  his  comrade 
those  behind  threw  bundles  of  straw  mixed  with  wet 
leaves ;  a  light  was  applied  to  this,  and,  with  a  sheet  of 
flame  between  themselves  and  the  besieged,  they  had  no 
fear.  Now  they  pressed  forward,  threw  on  fresh  straw, 
and  then,  knowing  that  the  besieged  would  have  fled 
higher,  reached  through  the  flames  with  a  pole  with  a 
hook  attached  to  it,  and  hauled  down  the  barricade.  Tha 
moment  the  fire  burned  a  little  low,  two  men  lighted 
fresh  bundles,  and  stamping  out  the  fire,  advanced  up 
the  stairs,  carrying  before  them  the  blazing  bundles  lika 
torches,  the  volumes  of  smoke  from  these  of  course  pre- 
ceding them. 

The  party  on  the  terrace  had  noticed  the  smoke  dying 
down,  and  had  prepared  to  descend  again,  when  a  fresh, 
addition  to  the  smoke  convinced  them  that  the  enemy 
were  still  piling  on  bundles,  and  that  there  was  nothing 
to  fear.  So  they  sat  quietly  chatting,  until  Ned,  who 
was  sitting  next  to  the  door,  exclaimed : 

"Listen!  they  are  pulling  down  our  top  barricade.  " 

Sword  in  hand,  he  rushed  down,  the  others  closely 
following  him.  Just  as  he  turned  the  spiral  which  would 
bring  him  in  sight  of  the  upper  barricade  a  musket  was 
fired,  and  Ned  would  -have  fallen  forward  had  not  Major 
Dunlop  seized  him  by  the  collar  and  pulled  him  back- 
ward. 

"Hold  the  stairs,  colonel!"  he  said;  "they  are  at  tha 
barricade,  but  are  not  through  yet;  I  will  carry  Ned  up. 
lie's  hit  in  the  shoulder." 

Major  Dunlop  carried  Ned  to  the  platform,  and  laying 
him  down,  for  he  had  lost  consciousness,  rushed  back  to 
assist  to  hold  the  stairs,  for  the  crack  of  Colonel  Warrener's 
and  Dick's  revolvers  could  be  heard.     The  advantage, 


m  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  341 

however,  was  so  great  with  them,  standing  above  the 
others,  and  so  placed  as  to  be  able  to  fire  the  instant  that 
their  foes  came  round  the  corner,  that  the  Sepoys,  after 
losing  several  of  their  number,  ceased  their  attack. 

The  defenders  hurried  up  to  Ned,  confident  that  the 
enemy  would  not  renew  the  assault  again  for  the  moment, 
as  they  could  not  tell  whether  there  was  yet  another  bar- 
rier to  be  stormed.  Dick  stood  sentry  at  the  door,  and 
the  colonel  and  Major  Dunlop  examined  Ned's  wound. 
It  was  a  serious  one;  the  ball  had  entered  the  chest 
below  the  collar-bone ;  had  it  been  fired  from  a  level  it 
would  have  been  fatal ;  but  the  Sepoy  having  stood  so 
much  below,  it  had  gone  out  near  the  neck,  smashing  the 
collar  bone  on  its  way.  Ned  had  become  unconscious 
from  the  shock  to  the  system. 

"We  must  take  to  the  dome  at  once,"  Colonel  War- 
rener  said.  "The  next  assault  those  fellows  will  gain  the 
terrace.     I  will  carry  Ned  up. " 

"No,  colonel,  I  will  take  him,"  Major  Dunlop  said. 
a{I  can  carry  him  over  my  shoulders  as  easily  as  possible. " 

"Well,  Dunlop,  you  are  the  younger  man,  so  I  will 
hand  him  over  to  you.  I  will  put  this  coil  of  rope  round 
my  neck  and  will  take  the  water  and  food.  It  is  so  dark 
now  that  they  will  not  see  us  from  below.  If  those 
fellows  had  but  waited  half  an  hour  we  could  have  gained 
the  top  without  this  sad  business.  Will  you  go  first, 
Dunlop?" 

Major  Dunlop,  who  was  a  very  powerful  and  active 
man,  lifted  Ned  on  his  shoulders  and  began  to  ascend  the 
narrow  steps  to  the  dome.  It  was  hard  work  at  first,  but 
as  he  got  on  the  ascent  became  less  steep,  and  the  last 
part  was  comparatively  easy.  Colonel  Warrener  mounted 
next,  also  heavily  laden.  Dick  remained  on  guard  at  the 
door  until  he  saw  his  father  pass  the  shoulder  of  tha 


342  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

dome,  out  of  sight  from  those  on  the  terrace ;  he  then 
slung  two  muskets  and  cartridge  pouches  on  his 
shoulders,  bristly  climbed  the  steps,  and  was  soon  by 
his  father. 

In  three  minutes  the  party  were  gathered  round  the 
central  spike  of  the  dome.  Suddenly  a  loud  cheer  was 
heard  from  below. 

"They  are  out  on  the  terrace,"  Dick  said.  "I  will  go 
down  a  bit  to  guard  the  steps ;  you  will  be  more  use  with 
Ned  than  I  should." 

The  shouts  on  the  terrace  were  answered  by  a  great 
cheer  of  exultation  from  the  Sepoy  host  around,  who  had 
been  chafed  almost  to  madness  at  the  immense  loss  which 
was  being  caused  by  three  or  four  men,  for  the3r  knew 
not  the  exact  strength  of  the  party.  The  shouts  of  exul- 
tation, however,  were  silenced  when,  rushing  round  the 
terrace,  the  Sepoys  found  that  their  foes  had  again 
evaded  them.  There  was  no  other  door,  no  hiding-place, 
nowhere,  in  fact,  that  the  besieged  could  have  concealed 
themselves ;  but  the  ladder-like  steps  soon  met  the  eye 
of  the  searchers.  A  yell  of  anger  and  disappointment 
arose.  Not  even  the  bravest  among  them  thought  for  a 
moment  of  climbing  the  stairs,  for  it  would  indeed  have 
been  clearly  impossible  for  men  forced  to  climb  in  single 
file  to  win  their  way  against  well-armed  defenders,  who 
would  simply  shoot  them  down  from  above  as  fast  as  a 
head  appeared  over  the  shoulder  of  the  dome. 

The  position  was  indeed  practically  impregnable 
against  assault,  although  exposed  to  artillery  fire,  and  to 
distant  musketry.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  the  de- 
fenders of  the  stairs  had  not  taken  to  it  at  once.  They 
felt  confident  in  their  ability  to  defend  the  stair  all  day, 
iind  to  inflict  heavy  loss  upon  the  enemy ;  whereas,  by 
climbing  up  the  dome  in  daylight  they  would  have  been 


IN  TIMES  OB'  PERIL.  345 

£,  target  to  all  those  below  while  climbing,  and  would 
liave  been  exposed  all  day  to  a  distant  fire.  That  they 
would  have  to  support  it  for  two  or  three  days  was  nearly 
certain,  but  clearly  the  less  time  the  better. 

The  enemy,  consoling  themselves  with  the  thought 
that  on  the  morrow  their  cannon  would  finish  the  contest 
which  had  thus  far  cost  them  so  dearly,  placed  a  guard 
of  fifty  men  on  the  terrace  at  the  foot  of  the  steps,  lighted 
a  large  fire  there,  in  order  that  they  could  see  any  one 
attempting  to  descend  long  before  he  reached  the  level, 
and  then  retired  below. 

By  this  time  Ned  had  recovered  consciousness,  and 
having  taken  a  drink  of  water,  was  able  to  understand 
what  had  happened.  His  father  had  cut  his  uniform  off 
his  shoulder  and  arm,  and  having  also  cut  off  one  of  his 
own  shirt-sleeves,  had  soaked  it  in  water  and  applied  it 
as  a  bandage  on  the  wound. 

"I  am  very  glad  we  had  agreed  that  only  Dick  should 
go,"  Ned  said,  "otherwise  I  should  have  blamed  myself 
for  keeping  you  here." 

"No,  we  could  not  have  gone  in  any  case,"  Colonel 
"Warren er  said,  "as  there  would  have  been  no  one  to  have 
lowered  the  rope  here ;  besides  which,  it  is  only  a  sailor 
or  a  practiced  gymnast  who  can  let  himself  down  a  rope 
some  eighty  feet. ' ' 

"When  will  Dick  try?" 

"As  soon  as  the  camp  gets  quiet.  The  moon  will  bo 
up  by  twelve  o'clock,  and  he  must  be  off  before  that. 
Are  you  in  much  pain,  old  boy?" 

"Not  much,  father;  I  feel  numbed  and  stupid." 

"Now,  Dunlop,"  Colonel  Warrener  said,  "will  you 
relieve  Dick  on  guard  at  the  steps?  You  may  as  well  say 
good-by  to  him.  It  is  about  eight  o'clock  now,  and  ia 
a  couple  of  hours  he  will  be  off.     After  he  has  gone  I 


344:  IK  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

will  relieve  you.  Then  a  four  hours'  watch  each  will 
take  us  to  daylight ;  there  won't  be  much  sleeping  after 
that." 

By  ten  o'clock  the  noise  in  the  rebel  camp  had  nearly 
ceased.  Groups  still  sat  and  talked  round  the  camp 
fires,  but  the  circle  was  pretty  large  round  the  tomb,  for 
the  Sepoys  had  fallen  back  when  the  musketry  fire  was 
opened  upon  them  from  the  parapet,  and  had  not 
troubled  to  move  again  afterward. 

"Now,"  Dick  said,  "it  is.  time  for  me  to  be  off.  I 
have  got  a  good  seventy  miles  to  ride  to  Lucknow.  It 
is  no  use  my  thinking  of  going  after  the  column,  for 
they  would  be  some  fifty  miles  away  from  the  place  where 
we  left  them,  by  to-morrow  night.  If  I  can  get  a  good 
horse  I  may  be  at  Lucknow  by  midday  to-morrow.  The 
Jiorses  have  all  had  a  rest  to-day.  Sir  Colin  will,  I  am 
sure,  send  off  at  once,  and  the  troops  will  march  well  to 
effect  a  rescue.  They  will  make  thirty -five  miles  before 
ihoy  halt  for  the  night,  and  will  be  here  by  the  following 
night." 

"We  must  not  be  too  sanguine,  Dick.  It  is  just  pos- 
sible, dear  boy,  that  if  all  goes  well  you  may  be  back  as 
you  say,  in  forty-eight  hours,  but  we  will  make  up  our 
minds  to  twice  that  time.  If  you  get  here  sooner  all  the 
better;  but  I  don't  expect  that  they  will  hit  us,  and  after 
siring  a  bit  the  chances  are  they  will  not  care  to  waste 
emmnnition  aad  will  try  to  starve  us  out." 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL,  g&j 


CHAPTER  XXI?. 

BEST   AFTER  LABOB. 

"With  a  tender  farewell  of  his  father  and  brother,  the 
midshipman  prepared  for  his  expedition.  One  end  of 
%i&  rope  had  been  fastened  [round  the  large  mast  which 
?Q39  from  the  dome.  Holding  the  coil  over  his  shoulder, 
Dick  made  his  way  down  the  dome,  on  the  side  opposite 
that  [at  which  they  had  ascended,  until  it  became  too 
steep  to  walk ;  then  he  lay  down  on  his  back,  and  paying 
the  rope  out  gradually,  let  himself  slip  down.  The  lower 
part  of  the  descent  was  almost  perpendicular ;  and  Dick 
■soon  stood  safely  on  the  terrace.  It  was,  as  he  expected 
confidently  that  it  would  be,  quite  deserted  on  this  side. 
Then  he  let  go  of  the  rope,  and  Major  "Warrener,  who 
was  watching  it,  saw  that  the  strain  was  off  it,  pulled  it 
up  a  foot  to  make  sure,  and  then  untied  the  knot.  Dick 
pulled  it  gently  at  first,  coiling  it  up  as  it  came  down, 
until  at  last  it  slid  rapidly  down.  He  caught  it  as  well 
as  he  could,  but  he  had  little  fear  of  so  slight  a  noise 
being  heard  on  the  other  side  of  the  great  dome ;  then  he 
tied  the  rope  to  the  parapet,  lowered  it  carefully  down, 
and  then,  when  it  was  all  out,  swung  himself  out  over  the 
parapet  and  slid  down  the  rope.  The  height  was  over 
eighty  feet ;  but  the  descent  was  a  mere  nothing  for  Dick, 
accustomed  to  lark  about  in  the  rigging  of  a  man-o'-war. 

He  stood  perfectly  quiet  for  a  minute  or  two  after  his 
feet  touched  the  ground,   but  outside    everything  was 


S46  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

still.  Through  the  open-carved  stonework  of  a  window 
he  could  hear  voices  inside  the  tomb,  and  had  no  doubt 
that  the  leaders  of  the  enemy's  force  were  there. 

From  the  parapet,  in  the  afternoon,  he  had  gained  an 
accurate  idea  of  the  position  of  the  cavalry,  and  toward 
this  he  at  once  made  his  way.  He  took  off  his  boots, 
and  walked  lightly  until  he  approached  the  enemy's 
bivouac.  Then  he  went  cautiously.  The  ground  was 
covered  with  sleeping  figures,  all  wrapped  like  mummies 
in  their  clothes;  and  although  the  night  was  dusk,  it  was 
easy  in  the  starlight  to  see  the  white  figures.  Even  had 
one  been  awake  Dick  had  little  fear,  as,  except  near  a 
fire,  his  figure  would  have  been  indistinguishable.  There 
was  no  difficulty,  when  he  neared  the  spot,  in  finding 
the  horses,  as  the  sound  of  their  pawing  the  ground, 
eating,  and  the  occasional  short  neigh  of  two  quarreling, 
was  clearly  distinguishable. 

Their  position  once  clear,  Dick  moved  round  them.  He 
had  noticed  that  four  officers'  horses  were  picketed  fur- 
ther away,  beyond  the  general  mass  of  the  men's,  and 
these  could  therefore  be  more  easily  removed,  and  would, 
moreover,  be  more  likely  to  be  fast  and  sound.  They 
had,  too,  the  advantage  of  being  placed  close  to  the  road 
by  which  the  English  force  had  marched  on  the  day 
before. 

Dick  was  some  time  in  finding  the  horses  he  was  on  the 
lookout  for ;  but  at  last  he  heard  a  snorting  at  a  short 
distance  off,  and  on  reaching  the  spot  found  the  horses 
he  was  in  search  of.  They  were  all  saddled,  but  none 
had  bridles.  It  would  be,  Dick  knew,  useless  to  look  for 
them,  and  he  felt  sure  that  the  halter  would  be  sufficient 
for  well-trained  horses. 

Before  proceeding  to  work  he  reconnoitered  the  ground 
ground.     He  found  the  way  to  the  road,  which  was  but 


IN  TIMES  OF  PEEIL,  347 

twenty  yards  distant,  and  discovered  also  that  the 
syces,  or  grooms,  were  asleep  close  by  the  horses ;  a  little 
farther  off  were  a  party  of  sleeping  troopers.  Dick  now 
eat  off  the  heel  ropes  by  which  two  of  the  horses  wera 
picketed,  and  then,  leading  them  by  the  halters,  moved 
quietly  toward  the  road.  To  get  upon  this,  however, 
there  was  a  ditch  first  to  be  passed,  and  in  crossing  it 
one  of  the  horses  stumbled. 

"What  is  that?"  exclaimed  one  of  the  syces,  sitting 
up.  "Halloo!"  he  continued,  leaping  up;  "two  of  the 
horses  have  got  loose." 

The  others  leaped  to  their  feet  and  ran  in  the  direction 
whence  came  the  noise  which  had  awakened  them,  think- 
ing that  the  horses  had  drawn  their  picket  pegs. 

By  this  time  Dick  was  in  the  saddle,  and  giving  a  kick 
■with  his  heels  to  the  horse  he  was  on,  and  striking  tha 
other  with  the  halter  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  dashed 
off  into  a  gallop. 

A  shout  burst  from  the  syces,  and  several  of  the  troop- 
ers, springing  to  their  feet  and  seizing  their  arms,  ran 
up  to  know  what  was  the  matter. 

"Some  thief  has  stolen  the  colonel's  horse,"  exclaimed 
one  of  the  syces. 

The  troopers  did  not  like  to  fire,  as  it  would  have 
alarmed  the  camp ;  besides  which,  a  random  fire  in  the 
darkness  would  be  of  no  avail ;  so,  grumbling  that  the 
syces  would  have  to  answer  for  it  in  the  morning,  they 
went  off  to  sleep  again;  while  the  men  in  charge  of  the 
two  horses  which  had  been  taken  after  some  consultation 
decided  that  it  would  be  unsafe  to  remain  to  meet  the 
anger  of  the  officers  in  the  morning,  and  so  stole  off  in 
the  darkness,  and  made  for  their  native  villages. 

Dick,  hearing  that  he  was  not  pursued,  pulled  up  in 
half  a  mile,  and  gave  a  loud,  shrill   ' '  cooey, ' '  the  Aus- 


343  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

tralian  call.  He  knew  that  this  would  be  heard  by  Iiig 
father,  sitting  listening  at  the  !top  of  the  dome,  and  thai; 
he  would  learn  that  so  far  he  had  succeeded.  Then  ho 
se^  the  horses  off  again  in  a  hand  gallop,  and  roda 
steadily  down  the  road.  Every  hour  or  so  he  changed 
from  horse  to  horse,  thus  giving  them  a  comparative  rest 
by  turns.  Occasionally  he  allowed  them  to  walk  for  a 
bit  to  get  their  wind,  and  then  again  rode  on  at  a  gallop. 
It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  when  he  started  on  his  ride. 
By  four  in  the  morning  he  was  at  the  spot  where  the 
party  had  separated  from  the  column,  having  thus  made 
forty  miles.  After  that  he  went  more  slowly ;  but  it  was 
a  little  past  nine  when,  with  his  two  exhausted  horses, 
he  rode  into  the  camp  at  Lucknow,  where  his  appearance 
created  quite  an  excitement. 

Dick's  story  was  briefly  told ;  and  the  two  horses,  which 
were  both  splendid  animals,  were  taken  off,  to  be  fed  and 
rubbed  down ;  while  Dick,  accompanied  by  the  colonel 
of  the  cavalry  regiment  where  he  had  halted,  went  at 
once  to  the  camp  of  the  commander-in-chief. 

Sir  Colin  listened  to  Dick's  story  in  silence. 

"This  will  be  the  band,"  he  said,  "that  Colonel  Law- 
son's  column  went  to  attack;  they  must  have  altered 
their  course.  Something  must  be  done  at  once.  There 
shall  be  no  delay,  my  lad ;  a  force  shall  be  ready  to  start 
in  an  hour.  I  suppose  you  will  want  to  go  with  them. 
I  advise  you  to  go  back  to  Colonel  Harper's  tent,  get  into 
a  bath,  and  get  a  couple  of  natives  to  shampoo  you. 
That  will  take  away  all  your  stiffness.  By  the  time  that's 
over  and  you  have  had  some  breakfast  the  troops  will  be 
in  readiness." 

Dick  left  Sir  Colin,  but  delighted  at  the  readiness  and 
promptness  of  the  fine  old  soldier ;  while  Sir  Colin  called 
his  military  secretary  and  at  once  arranged  for  the  dis- 
patch of  a  body  of  troops. 


'JN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  349 

fCThere  must  be  no  delay,"  the  commander-in-chief 
Said.  "If  possible — and  it  is  possible — these  scoundrels 
must  be  attacked  at  daylight  to-morrow  morning.  They 
will  see  the  rope  the  lad  escaped  by,  but  they  will  not 
dream  of  an  attack  so  early,  and  may  be  caught  napping. 
Besides,  it  is  all-important  to  rescue  those  officers,  whom 
they  will  have  been  making  a  target  of  all  day,  especially 
as  one  is  badly  wounded,  and  will  be  in  the  full  blaze  of 
the  sun.  See  that  a  wagon  and  an  ambulance  accompany 
the  column.  Send  a  regiment  of  Punjab  horse,  three 
field  guns,  and  three  hundred  infantry  in  light  marching- 
order.  Let  gharries  be  got  together  at  once  to  take  the 
infantry  forty  miles,  then  they  will  start  fresh  for  a 
thirty-mile  march.  The  cavalry  and  guns  can  go  on  at 
cnce;  let  them  march  halfway,  then  unsaddle  and  rest. 
If  they  are  off  by  half-past  ten  they  can  get  to  their  halt- 
ing-place by  five.  Then  if  they  have  five  hours'  rest  they 
v/ill  catch  the  infantry  up  before  daybreak  and  attack 
just  as  it  gets  light.  Those  light  Punjab  horse  can  do 
it.     Now,  which  regiments  shall  we  send?" 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  bugles  were  blowing,  and 
by  ten  o'clock  three  hundred  British  infantry  were  packed 
in  light  carts,  and  the  cavalry  and  guns  were  drawn  up 
in  readiness.  Dick  took  his  place  in  the  ambulance  car- 
riage, as,  although  greatly  refreshed,  he  had  had  plenty 
of  riding  for  a  time,  and  in  the  ambulance  he  could  lie 
down  and  get  through  the  journey  without  fatigue.  Sir 
Colin  himself  rode  up  just  as  they  were  starting,  and 
shook  hands  with  Dick,  and  expressed  his  warm  hope 
that  he  would  find  his  friends  safe  at  the  end  of  the  jour- 
ney, and  then  the  cavalry  started. 

Dick  has  always  asserted  that  never  in  his  life  did  he 
make  such  a  short  journey  as  that.  Worn  out  by  the  ex- 
citement and  fatigue  of  the  preceding  thirty  hours  he  fell 


350  J3ir  TIMES  OF  FEHIL. 

fast  asleep  in  the  ambulance  before  he  had  gone  a  mila, 
and  did  not  awake  until  the  surgeon  shook  him  by  the 
shoulder. 

"Halloo!"  he  cried,  leaping  up;  "where  are  we?" 

"We  are,  as  far  as  we  can  tell,  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  tomb.  I  would  not  wake  you  when  we  halted,  War- 
rener.  I  thought  you  wanted  sleep  more  than  food. 
We  have  been  halting  half  an  hour  here,  and  the  cavalry 
have  just  come  up.  It  is  about  an  hour  before  daybreak. 
The  colonel  wants  you  to  act  as  guide. ' ' 

"All  right,"  Dick  said,  leaping  out;  "just  to  think 
that  I  have  been  asleep  for  eighteen  hours!" 

A  hasty  council  was  held,  and  it  was  determined  that 
as  the  country  was  somewhat  wooded  beyond  the  tomb, 
but  perfectly  open  on  that  side,  the  cavalry  and  artillery 
should  remain  where  they  were ;  that  the  infantry  should 
make  a  detour,  and  attack  at  daybreak  from  the  other 
side ;  and  that  as  the  enemy  fell  back  the  artillery  and 
cavalry  should  deal  with  them. 

Not  a  moment  was  lost.  The  infantry,  who  were  sit- 
ting down  after  their  long  tramp,  got  cheerily  on  to  their 
feet  again,  for  they  knew  that  they  were  going  to  attack 
the  enemy;  and  Dick  led  them  off  the  road  by  a  con- 
siderable detour,  to  come  upon  the  enemj'  from  the  other 
side.  By  the  moonlight  the  tomb  was  visible,  and  served 
as  a  center  round  which  to  march ;  but  they  were  too  far 
off  to  enable  Dick  to  see  whether  any  damage  had  been 
done  to  the  dome. 

Day  was  just  breaking  when  the  infantry  gained  the 
desired  position ;  then  throwing  out  two  hundred  men  in 
skirmishing  order,  while  the  other  one  hundred  were 
kept  in  hand  as  a  reserve,  the  advance  began.  It  waa 
not  until  they  were  within  three  hundred  yards  of  tha 
e^emy  that  they  were  perceived  by  the  sentries.     Tha 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  Sal 

challenge  was  answered  by  a  musket  shot,  and  as  the 
rebels  sprang  to  their  feet  a  heavy  fire  was  poured  in 
upon  them.  In  an  instant  all  was  wild  confusion.  Taken 
completely  by  surprise,  and  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
strength  of  the  enemy,  the  natives,  after  a  wild  fire  in 
the  direction  of  the  advancing  foe,  fled  precipitately. 
Their  officers  tried  to  rally  them,  and  as  the  smallness  of 
the  force  attacking  them  became  visible,  the  Sepoys  with 
their  old  habit  of  discipline  began  to  draw  together. 
But  at  this  moment  the  guns,  loaded  with  grape,  poured 
into  their  rear,  and  with  a  cheer  the  Punjab  cavalry 
burst  into  their  midst. 

Thenceforth  there  was  no  longer  an  idea  of  fighting ;  it 
was  simply  a  rout  and  a  pursuit.  The  rebels'  own  guns 
fell  at  once  into  the  hands  of  the  infantry,  and  were 
quickly  turned  upon  the  masses  of  fugitives,  who,  mov/n 
down  by  the  fire  of  the  nine  guns,  and  cut  up  by  the 
cavalry  who  charged  hither  and  thither  among  them, 
w hile  volleys  of  musketry  swept  through  them,  threw 
away  their  arms  and  fled  wildly.  Over  a  thousand  of 
them  were  left  dead  on  the  plain,  and  had  not  the  horses 
of  the  cavalry  been  too  exhausted  to  continue  the  pur- 
suit, a  far  greater  number  would  have  fallen. 

Dick  took  no  part  in  their  fighting ;  a  company,  fifty 
strong,  with  an  officer,  had  been  told  off  to  attack  and 
carry  the  tomb,  under  his  guidance.  Disregarding  all 
else,  this  party  with  leveled  bayonets  had  burst  through 
the  throng,  and  made  straight  for  the  door  of  the  tomb. 
Many  of  the  enemy's  troops  had  run  in  there,  and  for  a 
minute  or  two  there  was  a  fierce  fight  in  the  great  hall ; 
then,  when  the  last  foe  had  fallen,  Dick  led  the  men  to 
the  stairs,  up  which  many  of  the  enemy  had  fled. 

"Quick,"  he  shouted,  "follow  them  close  up!" 

Some  of  them  were   but  a  few  steps   ahead,  and  Dick, 


g52  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

closely  followed  by  his  men,  burst  on  to  the  terrace  aft 
their  very  heels.  It  was  well  that  he  did  so;  for  tLa 
guard  upon  the  terrace,  seeing  that  all  was  lost  below, 
were  preparing  to  sell  their  lives  dearly,  and  to  make  a 
long  resistance  at  the  top  of  the  stairs.  Dick  and  his 
men,  however,  rushed  so  closely  upon  the  heels  of  their 
own  comrades  from  below  that  they  were  taken  com- 
pletely by  surprise.  Some  turned  at  once  to  fly,  others 
made  an  effort  to  oppose  their  enemy ;  but  it  was  useless. 
Two  or  three  of  the  Sepoy  leaders,  calling  to  their  men 
to  follow  them,  made  a  rush  at  the  British,  and  Dick 
found  himself  engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  contest  with 
Aboo  Raab,  the  rebel  leader.  He  was  a  powerful  and 
desperate  man,  and  with  a  swinging  blow  he  beat  down 
Dick's  guard  and  inflicted  a  severe  wound  on  his  head; 
but  Dick  leaped  forward,  and  ran  him  through  the  body, 
just  as  the  bayonet  of  one  of  the  British  soldiers  pierced 
him  in  the  side. 

For  a  minute  or  two  the  fight  was  fierce,  but  every 
moment  added  to  the  avenging  force,  and  with  a  cheer 
the  soldiers  rushed  at  them  with  the  bayonet.  In  five 
minutes  all  was  over.  Many  of  the  Sepoys  leaped  over 
the  parapet,  and  were  dashed  to  pieces,  preferring  that 
death  to  the  bayonet;  while  on  the  terrace  no  single 
Sepoy  at  the  end  of  that  time  remained  alive. 

When  all  was  over  Dick  gave  a  shout,  which  was 
answered  from  above. 

"Are  you  all  right,  Dunlop?" 

"Yes,  thank  God;  but  Ned  is  delirious.  Send  soma 
■water  up  at  once. ' ' 

Dick  was  too  much  shaken  by  the  severe  cut  he  had 
received  in  the  head  to  attempt  to  climb  the  ladder,  but 
the  officer  in  command  of  the  company  at  once  offered  to 
ascend.     Several  of  the  men  had  a  little  water  left  in 


I2T  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  353 

ilielr  water-bottles,  and  from  them  one  was  filled  and 
Blung  over  the  officer's  neck. 

"I  have  some  brandy  in  my  flask,"  he  said,  and  started 
■up  the  steps. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  descended  again. 

"Your  brother  is  wildly  delirious,"  he  said;  "they 
have  bound  his  injured  arm  to  his  side  with  a  sash,  but 
they  cannot  leave  him.     How  is  he  to  be  got  down?" 

"There  is  plenty  of  rope  and  sacking  down  below, ' '  Dick 
said,  after  a  moment's  thought.  "I  think  that  they  had 
better  wrap  him  up  in  sacking,  so  that  he  cannot  move 
his  arms,  tie  a  rope  round  him,  and  lower  him  down  close 
by  the  side  of  the  steps,  my  father  coming  down  side  by 
aide  with  him,  so  as  to  speak  to  him  and  tranquilize  him. ' ' 

A  soldier  was  sent  below  for  the  articles  required,  and 
with  them  the  officer,  accompanied  by  a  sergeant  to  assist 
him  in  lowering  Ned  from  above,  again  mounted.  In  a 
few  minutes  Dick's  plan  was  carried  out,  and  Ned  was 
lowered  safely  to  the  terrace.  Then  four  soldiers  carried 
him  below,  and  he  was  soon  laid  on  a  bed  of  sacks  in  the 
great  hall,  under  the  care  of  the  surgeon,  with  cold- 
water  bandages  round  his  head. 

Then  Dick  had  time  to  ask  his  father  how  the  preced- 
ing day  had  passed. 

"First  tell  me,  Dick,  by  what  miracle  you  got  back  so 
soon.  To-morrow  morning  was  the  very  earliest  time  I 
thought  that  relief  was  possible ! ' ' 

Dick  told  his  story  briefly,  and  then  Colonel  Warrener 
related  what  had  happened  to  them  on  the  dome  during 
the  day. 

"As  soon  as  day  broke,  Dick,  they  opened  a  heavy 
musketry  fire  at  us,  but  they  were  obliged  to  go  so  far  off 
to  get  a  fair   view   of  us  that   the    smooth  bore  would 


354  IH  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

hardly  carry  up,  and  even  had  we  been  hit  I  question  if 
the  balls  would  have  penetrated,  though  they  might  have 
given  a  sharp  knock.  Half  an  hour  later  the  artillery 
fire  began.  "We  agreed  that  Dunlop  and  I  should  by 
turns  lie  so  as  to  command  the  stairs,  while  the  other 
kept  with  Ned  on  the  other  side  of  the  dome.  The 
enemy  divided  their  guns,  and  put  them  on  each  side 
also.  Lying  down  we  presented  the  smallest  possible 
mark  for  them;  but  for  some  hours  it  was  very  hot. 
Nine  out  of  ten  of  their  shot  just  went  over  the  dome 
altogether.  The  spike  was  hit  twenty  or  thirty  times, 
and  lower  down  a  good  many  holes  were  knocked  in  the 
dome ;  but  the  shots  that  struck  near  us  all  glanced  and 
flew  over.  They  fired  a  couple  of  hundred  shot  alto- 
gether, and  at  midday  they  stopped — for  dinner,  I  sup- 
pose— and  did  not  begin  again.  I  suspect  they  were 
running  short  of  ammunition.  Once,  when  the  firing 
was  hottest,  thinking,  I  suppose,  to  catch  us  napping,  an 
attempt  was  made  to  climb  the  ladder ;  but  Dunlop,  who 
was  on  watch,  put  a  bullet  through  the  first  fellow's 
head,  and  by  the  yell  that  followed  I  suspect  that  in  hi3 
fall  he  swept  all  the  others  off  the  ladder.  .nyhow, 
there  was  no  repetition  of  the  trial.  The  heat  was  fear- 
ful, and  Dunlop  and  I  suffered  a  good  deal  from  thirst, 
for  there  was  not  much  water  left  in  the  bottle,  and  wa 
wanted  that  to  pour  down  Ned's  throat  from  time  to 
time,  and  to  sop  his  bandages  with.  Ned  got  delirious 
about  eleven  o'clock,  and  we  had  great  trouble  in  holding 
him  down.  The  last  drop  of  water  was  finished  in  the 
night,  and  we  should  have  had  a  terrible  day  of  it  if  you 
had  not  arrived.  And  now  let  us  hear  what  the  surgeon 
says  about  poor  Ned. ' ' 

The  doctor's  report  was  not  consoling;  the  wound  was 
a  very  severe  one,  the  collar  bone  had  been  smashed  in 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  35(5 

fragments ;  but  the  high  state  of  fever  was  even  a  mora 
serious  matter  than  the  wound. 

"What  will  you  do,  father?" 

"I  must  carry  out  my  orders,  Dick.  Dunlop  and  I 
must  go  on  to  Agra  and  then  on  to  join  our  regiment. 
Ned  will,  of  course,  be  taken  back  to  Lucknow,  and  you 
must  give  up  your  trip  and  stay  and  nurse  him.  Of 
course,  if  he  gets  over  it,  poor  boy,  he  will  be  invalided 
home,  and  you  can  travel  with  him  down  to  Calcutta.  I 
shall  send  the  girls  home  by  the  first  opportunity.  India 
will  be  no  place  for  ladies  for  some  time.  We  shall  have 
months  of  marching  and  fighting  before  we  finally  stamp 
out  the  mutiny.  There  will  be  sure  to  be  convoys  of  sick 
and  wounded  going  down,  and  a  number  of  ladies  at 
Meerut  who  will  be  leaving  at  the  first  opportunity.  It 
is  very  sad,  old  boy,  leaving  you  and  Ned  at  such  a  time ; 
but  I  must  do  my  duty,  whatever  happens. ' ' 

The  British  force  encamped  for  that  day  and  the  next 
around  the  tomb  which  had  been  the  scene  of  so  much 
fierce  fighting ;  for  the  animals  were  so  much  exhausted 
by  their  tremendous  march  that  it  was  thought  better  to 
give  them  rest.  Ned  continued  delirious;  but  he  was 
more  quiet  now,  as  his  strength  diminished.  Fortu- 
nately, the  ambulance  was  well  supplied;  and  cooling 
drinks  were  given  to  him,  and  all  was  done  that  care  and 
attention  could  suggest.  There  were  three  other 
wounded,  in  addition  to  Dick,  all  men  who  had  taken 
part  in  the  fight  on  the  terrace ;  none  had  been  killed. 
Elsewhere  no  casualty  had  happened  in  the  force. 

Early  on  the  third  morning  the  column  was  again  in 
motion.  The  forty  miles  to  the  cross-roads  were  done  in 
two  days;  and  here  Colonel  Warrener  and  Major  Dunlop 
parted  from  Dick,  going  on  with  a  small  escort  of 
cavalry  to  Agra. 


S58  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

It  was  a  sad  parting,  and  it  is  doing  no  injustice  to 
Dick's  manhood  to  say  that  he  shed  many  tears.  But  his 
father  promised  that  if  the  Lucknow  jewels  turned  out  to 
Toe  real  he  would  leave  the  service  and  come  back  to 
Sngland  at  the  end  of  the  war. 

The  gharries  were  all  in  waiting  at  the  cross-road,  and 
another  day  brought  them  to  Lucknow,  where  the  news 
of  the  defeat  and  dispersion  of  the  rebel  force  had  already 
been  sent  on  by  a  mounted  orderly. 

For  a  week  Ned  lay  between  life  and  death ;  then  the 
fever  left  him  and  the  most  critical  point  of  his  illness 
■was  reached.  It  was  for  days  a  question  whether  he  had 
strength  left  to  rally  from  his  exhaustion.  But  youth 
and  a  good  constitution  triumphed  at  last ;  and  six  weeks 
from  the  day  on  which  he  was  brought  in  he  started  in 
a  litter  for  Calcutta. 

Dick  had  telegraphed  to  Captain  Peel  and  had  ob- 
tained leave  to  remain  with  his  brother,  and  he  now 
started  for  the  coast  with  Ned.  He  himself  had  had  a 
sharp  attack  of  fever — the  result  of  his  wound  on  the 
head  and  the  exertion  he  had  undergone ;  but  he  was  now 
well  and  strong  again,  and  happy  in  Ned's  convalescence. 

The  journey  was  easy  and  pleasant.  At  Benares  they 
went  on  board  a  steamer,  and  were  taken  down  to  Cal- 
cutta. By  the  time  they  reached  the  capital  Ned  was 
sufficiently  recovered  to  walk  about  with  his  arm  in 
Dick's.  The  use  of  his  left  arm  was  gone,  and  it  was  a 
question  whether  he  could  ever  recover  it. 

At  Calcutta  the  Warreners  had  the  delight  of  meeting 
their  sister  and  cousin,  who  had  arrived  there  the  week 
previous.  The  next  four  days  were  happy  ones  indeed, 
and  then  there  was  another  parting,  for  the  girls  and 
Ned  sailed  in  a  Peninsular  and  Oriental  steamer  for 
England.     Dick  remained  a  fortnight  at  Calcutta,  until  a 


IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL.  357 

sloop  of  war  sailed  to  join  the  China  fleet,  to  which  3his 
ship  was  now  attached. 

It  was  two  years  later  when  the  whole  party  who  had 
been  together  in  the  bungalow  at  Sandynugghur  when 
the  mutiny  broke  out  met  in  London,  on  the  return  of 
Dick's  ship  from  the  East.  The  Lucknow  jewels  had 
turned  out  to  be  of  immense  value;  and  Messrs.  Garrard, 
to  whom  they  had  been  sent,  had  offered  one  hundred 
and  thirty  thousand  pounds  for  them.  The  offer  had 
been  at  once  accepted ;  and  the  question  of  the  division 
had,  after  an  endless  exchange  of  letters,  been  finally 
left  by  Colonel  Warrener  to  the  boys.  They  had  insisted 
that  Colonel  Warrener  should  take  fifty  thousand  pounds, 
and  the  remainder  they  had  divided  in  four  equal  shares, 
between  themselves,  their  sister,  and  cousin,  whom  they 
regarded  as  one  of  themselves.  This  had  enabled  the 
latter  to  marry  without  delay  Captain  Manners,  whose 
wound  had  compelled  him  to  leave  the  service;  while 
Miss  "Warrener  had  a  few  months  later  married  Major 
Dunlop. 

Ned,  too,  was  no  longer  a  soldier.  He  had,  when  he 
arrived  in  England,  found  that  his  name  had  been  in- 
cluded in  the  brevet  rank  bestowed  upon  all  the  captains 
of  his  regiment  for  distinguished  service.  He  had  a 
year's  leave  given  him;  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  a 
medical  board  decided  that,  although  greatly  recovered, 
it  would  be  years  before  he  thoroughly  regained  his 
strength,  and  he  therefore  sold  his  commission  and  left 
the  service. 

Dick  had  passed  as  a  lieutenant,  and  had  immediately 
been  appointed  to  that  rank,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  get- 
ting his  commander's  step  at  the  earliest  possible  data, 
as  a  reward  for  the  distinguished  services  for  which  he 
had  been  several  times  mentioned  in  dispatches  at  tha 
time  of  the  mutiny. 


358  IN  TIMES  OF  PERIL. 

General  Sir  Henry  Warrener — for  he  received  a  step  in 
rank,  and  knighthood,  on  retiring  from  the  service — had 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Mrs.  Hargreaves  immedi- 
ately on  his  return  to  England ;  and  Dick,  to  his  intense 
astonishment  and  delight  on  arriving  home — for  he  had 
received  no  letters  for  many  months — found  his  old  friend 
installed  at  the  head  of  his  father's  establishment  as 
Lady  Warrener. 

The  daughters  were  of  course  inmates  of  the  house ; 
and  Dick  was  not  long  in  getting  Nelly  to  acknowledge 
that  so  far  she  had  not  changed  her  mind  as  expressed  at 
Cawnpore.  More  than  that  he  could  not  get  her  to  say. 
But  when  three  years  later  he  returned  with  commander's 
rank,  Nelly,  after  much  entreaty,  and  many  assertions 
that  it  was  perfectly  ridiculous  for  a  boy  of  twenty-one 
to  think  about  marrying,  consented;  and  as  Ned  and 
Edith  had  equally  come  to  an  understanding,  a  double 
marriage  took  place. 

General  "Warrener  and  his  wife  are  still  alive.  Major 
Warrener  has  a  seat  in  Parliament;  and  Captain  War- 
rener, who  never  went  to  sea  after  his  marriage,  lives  in 
a  pretty  house  down  at  Hyde,  where  his  yacht  is  known 
as  one  of  the  best  and  fastest  cruisers  on  the  coast. 

At  Christmas  the  whole  party — the  Duniops,  Manners 
and  Warreners — meet  and  an  almost  innumerable  troop 
of  children  of  all  ages  assemble  at  the  spacious  mansion 
of  General  Warrener  in  Berkeley  Square,  and  never  fail 
Jco  have  a  long  talk  of  the  adventures  that  they  went 
through  in  the  Times  of  Peril. 


